Settling In
by Shenlong Girl
Summary: Rose has landed back in her universe in truly dramatic fashion, and it's quite a lot to deal with when it comes to settling back in! Post-reunion fic, sequel to Looking Within, in my Peril-verse.
1. First Meetings

**Title:** Settling In  
**Author:** Shen  
**Rating:** NC-17 eventually, PG this chapter  
**Characters:** Rose, Ten, Donna, Jack, Torchwood  
**Setting/Spoilers:** Sequel to Looking Within, in my Peril-verse (see my profile). Recap of said 'verse is at _http://shengirl_ _dot livejournal dot com/8390 dot html_  
**Teaser:** Rose has landed back in her universe in truly dramatic fashion, and it's quite a lot to deal with when it comes to settling back in! Post-reunion fic.  
**Author's Note:** Concern for my well being made me write this faster than I may have otherwise. :-p This chapter's fluffy, so I hope you enjoy!

_The [Doctor's amusement turned to alarm as she slumped against him._

_"Rose?" he exclaimed again._

_Jack came in the door and spoke, "Went and got my key – you guys wait out here – Rose?"_

_"Wait, _the_Rose?!" Donna asked._

**Chapter 1: First Meetings**

The Doctor lowered Rose to the ground so he could get a look at her. Now that the golden glow had left her skin, he saw how deathly pale it had become, and the fact made his eyes water. Panic welled up in his hearts until they felt like they would burst from his chest.

"No," he said with a strangled voice, "not- not like this!" Suddenly, Jack was in front of him, on the other side of Rose, and he gripped the Doctor's shoulder roughly.

"Doctor! Snap out of it!" He was right. The Doctor hurriedly wiped the tears from his eyes and began examining Rose. Rassilon, she was cold. Too cold. Her heartbeat was thready, and she was showing signs of dehydration. He scooped her up and began running to the infirmary, Donna and Jack right behind.

"Who are you, then?" Donna demanded of the Captain.

"Captain Jack Harkness," and it was a testament to the seriousness of the situation that he wasn't even a little flirtatious. "Doctor, what's going on? How'd you do it?"

"I didn't do anything! The TARDIS just brought us here." Talking ceased as they skidded into the infirmary. Jack held Rose up as the Doctor removed her suit jacket. Under it was a shoulder holster, complete with handgun. The two men froze and stared, shocked.

"You never told me Rose liked to pack heat," Donna commented from the doorway, where she was nervously staying out of the way. At that, the Doctor shook his head and worked on removing the offending object.

"She didn't. But she told me she was working for Torchwood; I suppose they would make her," he commented as he worked. Finally, even her top was cut away, leaving Rose in a bra. The Doctor willfully ignored the mysterious bandages on her arm and didn't bother to worry about her modesty in front of Jack. He'd been like a brother to her, and it frankly wasn't the time.

"Heart monitor... damn." Alarmed at what he saw, the Doctor had Jack fetch an IV for her dehydration while Donna ran for blankets and he gave Rose medications to help her overworked heart. When there was no more left to do, he sat beside the bed and held her hand, staring raptly at the monitors. Donna laid a hand on his shoulder and squeezed, and the Doctor allotted her a brief, thankful smile before returning to his vigil. His hearts sang at each degree Rose's body temperature climbed and thrilled at every beep signaling a stabilizing heartbeat. Meanwhile, Donna was giving Jack the fifth degree.

"'Captain' Jack? Captain of what, then?" she asked cautiously, her tone at odds with the gentle grip she had on the Doctor.

"Oh, I'm an expert in quite a few things... what was your name?" Oh, Rassilon; he was using _that_ tone. The Doctor rolled his eyes.

"Donna," she responded guardedly. The Doctor heard Jack kissing what he hoped was Donna's hand. Then, he felt her jerk away.

"You can keep your paws to yourself, thanks!" she bellowed. The Doctor chuckled at the rejection. Then, he didn't stop laughing, giggles bubbling from his mouth.

"Um, Doc?" Jack queried with some concern.

"She's here! She's actually here, and I'm not even dreaming! It's preposterous; only she would be stupid enough to cross the Void unprotected and stubborn enough to live. I simply can't be dreaming this, because it's too ridiculous. And she's changed, unlike the Rose in my subconscious! Look, her hair is darker and longer. And she's even got battle damage," he raved, gesturing at her bandaged arm. "Completely here and totally alive!" He laughed again, helplessly giddy. Donna had walked around to better look at his face, and she seemed vaguely worried.

"I'll... make you some tea," she asserted, as if this would surely cure any loose connections in the Doctor's addled brain. Jack suddenly gave a loud groan.

"And I'd better go talk to my team. They'll be wondering what I've been doing inside a closet for half an hour."

"Would it help if I said hello? They'll want a peek inside, and I don't want anyone in here when I'm not-" The Doctor's eyes widened as he was pulled up short. He had been following Jack to the door, but a look back at his hand told him that it was firmly in the grasp of one Ms. Rose Tyler.

He could hear the smile in Donna's voice when she said, "I don't think she wants you to leave." Jack chuckled his agreement, but the Doctor didn't look away from Rose to glance at them. Instead, he merely smiled at his angel.

"Know what? I don't want to go. Keep your people out of my ship, would you? There'll be time for that later." He clasped her hand in earnest as he spoke, using his free one to untie his trainers. Those discarded, he crawled into the cramped, hard infirmary bed. His arm, he made into her pillow, and their entwined hands came to rest on her chest, where he could feel her breathing. Perched precariously on the edge of the bed, shoulder already nurturing a dull ache, the only worry on his mind was whether he should nuzzle up to her neck and breath her in or stay where he was and re-memorize every detail of her countenance.

* * *

Rose was hot. Uncomfortably hot. She also seemed to be under a pile of very scratchy blankets. Worse, attempting to remove them seemed futile because one hand was attached to what felt suspiciously like a needle, and the other one was just plain trapped. Feeling weak and overheated, she wrinkled her nose and made a little squeak of discomfort.

"Oh, that's adorable. I missed that," came a voice that wasn't far away at all. Rose opened her eyes and turned her head to look into wide saucers of molten chocolate.

"Hello," said their owner. His voice had something approaching reverence. Rose began to beam.

"Doctor?" she croaked, "I did it?"

His voice remained hushed but exuberant as he spoke, "You mean the impossible? Rose Tyler, I once told the Devil himself that if I believed in anything, it was you. And now I'm ashamed, because I stopped. But you! Oh, I needn't have stopped believing in you, because look what you've done!"

"Gimme my hand back," Rose said abruptly as her eyes began to tear up. The Doctor looked hurt, then bemused. Rose plucked the IV from her arm and tossed off her oppressive blankets. "Phew!" Then, without another word, she turned to face him and tugged him into a kiss. And all the trashy romance novels she used to read, the ones she'd lost the stomach for since being marooned in the other universe, couldn't compare to this. A nibble requested entry to his mouth, and as he opened to her there she prodded his mind with her own. Magnetized, he flew right to that aching hole in her spirit and filled it as she did the same for him, each overflowing with love and disbelief and joy. She wanted to weep for the completeness of it. The only thing keeping her from being lost in the slow exploration was a rather fast beeping sound. It was quite annoying. Sensing the thought the Doctor broke away and laughed.

"Heart monitor," he said by way of explanation, swiftly unhooking it and pulling her back into a thorough snog.

"Whoops! I'll call again!" came an unfamiliar and very embarrassed voice. Rose looked up to see a retreating redhead and blushed crimson, extremely aware of her lack of a top. However, the Doctor just laughed and pulled a blanket over her.

"Wait! Donna, come here. I want you to meet Rose Tyler." Rose gingerly pulled herself to a sitting position, blanket held in place over her chest, and extended a shaky hand.

"Nice to meet you." Rose smiled hopefully, and the other woman relaxed. She walked over and shook Rose's hand.

"I'm Donna, and it's nice to meet you too. I've heard a lot about you."

"Really?" Rose asked, delighted at this change in Doctorly habits. "How did you meet the Doctor?"

Without particular ire, Donna responded, "I got accidentally teleported into the TARDIS in the middle of my wedding. On Christmas." Rose blinked.

"Wow, that might actually be worse than blowing up my job."

"Isn't that just like him! No care for the need to do things like pay your bills. Luckily, my office building survived, but he did drain the Thames."

"He didn't!" Rose shot a half-serious glare at the Doctor. He had been wearing a dreamy gaze, apparently content to see his companions getting along, but it was quickly changing to one of dawning horror at that same fact.

"It was an accident!" he protested, but the women had already turned their attentions back to each other.

Donna, seemingly encouraged by Rose's manner, volunteered, "And he wonders why I slapped him the day I met him!"

Rose laughed for several seconds before enthusiastically saying, "The second time he met my mother, she gave him such a slap! Kept me away from home for a whole year by accident. It took him months before he could look at her without flinching."

Sounding desperate, the Doctor erupted, "Now that's just not true! And... and I hate to interrupt, but Rose needs her rest." Taking in his triumphant expression, Rose looked down to see that her limbs were still shaking. The giddy adrenaline was wearing off, and bone-deep weariness had started to set in again.

"Trans-dimensional travel takes it out of you; just ask the TARDIS. But don't worry about the fabric of the universe; she says you did an expert job of it." Lost in the proud smile he was giving her, Rose yelped in surprise when he scooped her into his arms. "Come on, let's get you to a real bed. And you can tell me how you did it in the morning."

"Um, bye, Donna!" she called out as she was carted out the door. The Doctor didn't ask where she wanted to go, and she didn't protest when they wound up in his room. Their room, used to be. He solicitously fetched an old set of her pajamas.

"You still have those?" she asked, mildly surprised.

"I have your whole room back there still. You didn't think I would throw it out, would you?" he answered with similar bewilderment. Now that she thought about it, Rose realized she wouldn't have jettisoned her best reminders of the Doctor given the chance. She hugged him tightly to apologize for asking and changed her clothes.

He stripped down to a set of his own jim-jam trousers, and curled up with her in the soft blue sheets. Warm and cherished, listening to the sound of his twin hearts, Rose dropped off in a state of deep satisfaction in a job well-done.


	2. A New Morning

**Title:** Settling In  
**Author:** Shen  
**Rating:** NC-17 eventually, PG this chapter  
**Characters:** Rose, Ten, Donna, Jack, Torchwood  
**Setting/Spoilers:** Sequel to Looking Within, in my Peril-verse (see my profile). Recap of said 'verse is at _http://shengirl_ _dot livejournal dot com/8390 dot html_  
**Teaser:** Rose has landed back in her universe in truly dramatic fashion, and it's quite a lot to deal with when it comes to settling back in! Post-reunion fic.  
**Author's Note:** Wow, I'm really sorry for the wait. I usually hold off until I've three chapters done and an ending in mind before posting something, and this is why. I did learn a fun new fact while writing this, however: Trying to employ a thesaurus while writing smut can be unintentionally hilarious.

**Chapter 2: A New Morning**

"Rose," a voice whispered, slipping through the folds of her unconsciousness. She nuzzled her pillow and ignored it. Then, an amused notion bypassed her ears and tickled her mind. She smiled broadly, realizing who it was and where she was.

"Good morning," she said as she opened her eyes. Wide brown ones gazed back briefly before closing. The Doctor kissed her.

"Hello," he purred quietly, "hungry?" Sleepy, half-opened eyes widened with excitement. She could murder a whole chicken! The Doctor picked a tray up from the floor and revealed it to be carrying generous portions of eggs, toast, and fried potatoes, as well as tea and orange juice. Between the food and the self-impressed look on the Doctor's face, Rose had to grin as she eagerly sat up and tucked in. He rested on the edge of the bed to watch her.

"This attentiveness is going to wear off, but for now I'm enjoying it," she remarked between bites.

Rather than teasing back, the Doctor blurted, "How did you do it?" Just a glance told Rose it was driving him mad. He didn't sleep as much as she, so it must have been torturing him for hours.

"You thought you could figure it out while I was sleeping, didn't you?" The Doctor's sheepish expression was all the answer she needed, and it made her laugh. "Well, I went to the Rift in Cardiff, reached through it, and found the TARDIS." He didn't look particularly amused at her vagueness.

"Ah. Of course. Grabbed my ship and asked her to meet you halfway, as a favor. Anyone could do that. No, really, how?" he almost whined. His eyes pleaded for satiation of his curiosity, but Rose's attention had been caught.

"Met her halfway?" The Doctor looked confused for a moment.

"I guess if you had to ask me if you succeeded, you don't remember landing, do you? You're in Cardiff. And that's another item of interest we need to discuss, but for now, can you tell me how you managed it?" Rose didn't miss his nervous glance at the ceiling with the words "item of interest," but she tried not to worry about it. If it was that urgent, he wouldn't be bringing her breakfast in bed and chatting. Instead, she concentrated on his face as she spoke, knowing he wouldn't like everything he was about to hear.

"You told me yourself that this psychic power I have comes from a link to the TARDIS. I mean, it goes beyond that now, but originally, that was it. The bit of Bad Wolf in me knows how to connect with her. I just had to learn how to connect with _it_, so of the thirteen months I spent in the other world, nine months had me in Japan, training with monks." The Doctor's eyes seemed about to burst from his head.

An octave higher than normal, he asked, "You used the Bad Wolf?" Rose's quirked a brow over her tea mug.

"What did you think I did? I don't remember getting here, but I do recall glowing yellow before I left." She shoveled more eggs down, but the Doctor seemed unwilling to let go of his rant yet.

"I thought... the Rift just pulled you through, or there was some Torchwood technology I was going to have to chastise you for chancing! Or you were just using... you! Not the uncontrollable entity that apparently somehow still resides in your subconscious!" Rose contemplated him for several seconds.

"Here, let me show you." She sat the decimated food tray on the bedside table and grabbed the Doctor's hands, gently pulling them to the sides of her head. He seemed bemused but did not argue. "Look." The couple closed their eyes, and the Doctor properly positioned his hands. A memory of sorts fed into their link, a visual representation of crossing the Void created by Rose to demonstrate for him. Molten gold pooled into a well behind a sort of screen – the Bad Wolf at rest. Then, the proximity of the Rift agitated it, making it bubble and send up flares. _Bad Wolf was made to get me back to you, remember?_ Hands came along and dissolved part of the screen, and the entity burst from its prison, snatched a hand, and hauled it through the Rift. It homed in on its source, the TARDIS, them helped the hand grip it and _pull_ with every iota of energy that could be drawn from the Rift. At that point, Rose ended the memory, and he Doctor let his fingertips fall from her temples.

"See? It's walled off. It couldn't even do what it was designed for until I unleashed it, and it took ages to even learn how to do that. It's anything but out of control. Alright?" Her bright tone was met with a skeptical look.

"It's never acted on its own?" Guilty silence.

Rose cleared her throat and conceded, "Once. But that situation was... special, and it made me realize that I needed to train it. For my own safety and fulfillment, besides hoping it would get me back to you. No danger now, promise." The Doctor still seemed hesitant, so Rose decided to go for broke.

"And you know what, Doctor? Even if I hadn't known that this power came from Bad Wolf, inter-reality name-dropper that she is, I would have tried to figure out how it could get me back to you. Would've tried anything, because I love you."

"...Oh," the Doctor responded, eyes suddenly wide with awe and – relief? Did he think she'd stopped? Still, she could use that to deal a killing blow to this track of conversation. Rose's brow furrowed, looking insulted.

"Don't you give me that disbelief. I crossed universes for you!"

Panicking slightly, the Doctor yelped, "No! No, Rose, it's not disbelief. It's awe. What did I do to deserve you?" His wonder at her devotion was making her uncomfortable. Besides, she could think of things more fun than praise.

"'S just luck of the draw. And statistics. In 900 years, you'd almost have to run into someone as stubborn and talented as me who happens to fancy you. And you know what you can do in return?" Her signature cheeky grin was in play, eyes glued to his and form leaning towards him.

"Yes?"

"Kiss me. Snog now, existential questions later."

"I love you, too." It was so sudden and simple, it shocked both Rose and the Doctor to silence. He looked like he had just been given a passing grade to a final exam he'd been sure of failing. Then, she hauled him to her by his lapels and began to snog him within an inch of his life.

"Miss me?" he squeaked as she began to ravage his neck. She pulled away to give him a mock stern glare.

"Doctor, didn't you hear me? I've been living like a monk." He looked earnestly shocked.

"Literally? I thought you were joki- aaah." One strategic nibble, and all thought trains were derailed.

* * *

Donna was sitting in the kitchen, munching toast and reading a magazine, when Captain Jack sauntered in.

"Rose up yet?" he inquired hopefully.

"The Doctor took her breakfast a bit ago."

"How long ago?"

"Maybe 30 minutes, why?"

"...I'll be back in like an hour. Or five."

* * *

Their lovemaking was a balance of gentle, cherishing caresses and possessive clinginess. She tangled both hands in his hair, kissing him firmly, as he maneuvered them to fall back on the bed. He drew her collar aside.

"You're here," he breathed before biting where her neck met her shoulder. Rose sighed at the solid feel of him, the pain reassuring her that it wasn't a dream. A grounding sensation that she repaid by digging her nails into his shoulders.

"Here and never leaving," she whispered.

"And mine," added his rough voice. Rose arched into him, making sure to catch his eye with her heated gaze.

"Only yours." The Doctor let slip a helpless growl before claiming her mouth with his own. Rose immediately began tugging at his buttons and made swift work of the suit jacket. She pushed him off her with a smirk, making him sit back on his heels.

"Jacket off..." she pushed it down his arms, pausing only to lick up his neck. He stiffened against her, in more ways than one. The tie was cast aside, and the shirt only suffered the undoing of four buttons before Rose gave up and hauled it over his head, along with his vest. Her eyes twinkled excitedly, suddenly gifted with Time Lord chest to explore. She nudged him onto his back and began to kiss it, starting at his collar bone and working downwards, hands ghosting his sides. Right around when she got to his navel, she squeezed his bum. It made him jump, and she laughed as she undid his belt.

"Cheeky thing," he chided, snagging her upper arms and pulling her up his body until he could roll and pin her. Held only by her upper arms, she bent at the elbow to tickle his sides with a smirk and caused a rather unmanly giggle. Giving in, the Doctor freed one of Rose's limbs to run the back of his hand down her cheek. She leaned into his touch, sharing a look of pure adoration with the man above her. Then, he was unbuttoning her pajama top and unhooking her bra, only letting her sit up long enough to wriggle out of them. He laid her down to taste each breast in turn, making her moan and run her fingertips up and down his bare back. The gentle ministrations were wonderful, but Rose was at the point at wanting more. Her urgency flitted through their link and caused the Doctor to give her a look of well-nurtured ego before lowering his head to kiss her stomach. Finally, he drew her trousers and knickers down as one before moving on to his own remaining clothes. In moments, his weight rested over his lover's again, and tongues entwined desperately. Pure need and fire shot from one to the other, rebounded and amplified and all-consuming.

The Doctor slid into her slowly, managing to be mindful of her long abstinence even in his want. Rose gasped at the filling sensation of her Doctor, pushing aside pain to rock her hips into his. Slowly, they danced with gently increasing tempo as the Doctor dove in for another kiss. Bodies and mouths interlocked, he still wasn't close enough for Rose. She massaged his scalp and mussed his hair with one hand and rested the other on his back, pulling him to her harder. She wrapped her legs around him to give him a better angle. As he thrust harder and faster, she gave a lengthy moan of pleasure long-anticipated. The Doctor took the opportunity to pay her neck special attention, orally fixating in ways that drove her mad.

"I missed this," she said, drawing a bite from her lover that made her gasp. He was looking her in the face when she opened her eyes again.

"I missed you." He held her close and slowed his thrusting for a moment. Speed he replaced with technique, rolling his hips in a circle and making Rose's chest heave even harder. Coherent thought almost entirely escaped her, but she could manage one statement with utter conviction.

"I love you." The next plunge into her body was forceful, rocking them both with pleasure. The Doctor grabbed her hand and pinned it at her side, squeezing tightly as he bucked into her.

"Rose Tyler, I love- you!" The rhythm was erratic now, and a surge of devotion slammed into Rose along with the words. She clutched his hand and shoulder firmly, overcome with bliss.

"Oh- oh god-!" and it was over, drowning in the feeling until a second later, when blue and brown bursts of color buoyed her, achingly familiar as they spun through her head. The Doctor spilled inside her, body and mind, until he finally lay bonelessly atop her. They gasped for several moments until he rolled away and dragged her to him. They cuddled in contented silence for several moments.

"So," she squeaked, going for matter-of-fact and achieving only well-shagged, "what was that thing you said needing discussing about Cardiff?" To her alarm, his hearts kicked up a faster beat.


	3. We Need to Talk

**Title:** Settling In  
**Author:** Shen  
**Rating:** NC-17 eventually, PG this chapter  
**Characters:** Rose, Ten, Donna, Jack, Torchwood  
**Setting/Spoilers:** Sequel to Looking Within, in my Peril-verse (see my profile). Recap of said 'verse is at _http://shengirl_ _dot livejournal dot com/8390 dot html_  
**Teaser:** Rose has landed back in her universe in truly dramatic fashion, and it's quite a lot to deal with when it comes to settling back in! Post-reunion fic.  
**Author's Note:** This one goes out to my kind reviewers. :)

"_So," she squeaked, going for matter-of-fact and achieving only well-shagged, "what was that thing you said needing discussing about Cardiff?" To her alarm, his hearts kicked up a faster beat._

**Chapter 3: We Need to Talk**

Rose lifted her head from the Doctor's chest and looked at his face. His expression was miserable, almost ill. Alarm immediately shot through her body.

"Doctor?" He opened his mouth but said nothing, apparently at a loss to verbalize his thoughts. Rose gently prodded, "Doctor, is it bad news?"

"No! It's actually good news, objectively. Just... go along, get cleaned up and dressed, and I'll take you to see something you'll like." His voice was gentle and quiet, the one he only used with her, and he forced a smile. However, Rose could see the anxiety in his eyes and even feel it through their link, open as it was after lovemaking. And was that guilt? She eyed him worriedly but realized it would be no use to badger him. Instead, she kissed him briefly and began pulling on pajamas for the trip to her room, asking him to please find the clothes that hadn't made it from the med bay to the bedroom.

"Um, your shirt didn't make it. But your jacket and... gun things remain unscathed." His lip curled in ill-disguised distaste at her weaponry, but Rose ignored it. He would have to get over the idea of her shooting things; defending the alternate Earth had required it.

"Good; pictures of my family are in that jacket. I was going to put them up in my room later, if we can pick up some frames."

"Why not put them in here? Er, if you like. I mean, you can stay here at night, when you want. As often as you want. And, as much ridicule as it would generate were I to admit it to them, I miss Jackie and Mickey." There was a bashful little boy manner about him. He was nervous! But Rose smiled broadly. More than just sleeping in his room from time to time, he wanted to make it _their_ room again, going so far as to suggest added domesticity. Next thing she knew, he'd be offering his jealously guarded closet space (endless trainers on the floor).

"Okay!" She giggled happily and walked back towards him. "We can find some frames after this surprise of yours." The Doctor's hopeful smile faltered as she spoke, but she kissed him anyway, palm to his cheek. It was only when she turned around that she allowed her face to fall a bit. How could something be positive yet worry the Doctor sick? Absolutely no realistic options presented themselves. Especially not anything in Cardiff.

* * *

The Doctor got dressed and set about collecting Rose's discarded clothes and shoes from the infirmary. All the while, his mind spun in circles. Yes, that made perfect sense, inviting her to move into his room when it was entirely possible she'd hate him within the hour. Her first look at Jack would ensure that, or at least when she figured out that he'd knowingly abandoned him on the Gamestation. The Doctor sighed afresh, thinking of the time they'd just had. He was grateful for the closeness, the sensation of being at home in body and mind as he moved inside her, but it could well be the last time. It was disgusting of him, an unacceptable betrayal, to accept her love while hiding something so monumental. It would be a miracle if she forgave him for doing something that the harshly realistic part of him could only call using her. But she was so wanting, willing, insistent, so _Rose_ and, without protest, _his..._

He'd gotten carried away, and he could only hope Rose could forgive such a monster.

* * *

"This looks like Torchwood Cardiff," came an alarmed and confused voice. Jack looked out the window of his office and saw Rose half out of the TARDIS door. Even at first glance, something struck him as different about her, observable now that she was conscious and alert. Her posture bespoke discipline and combat experience, an obvious consequence of belonging to a paramilitary organization, to his trained eye. Then there were her eyes, efficiently taking in details even as she reeled with shock. Beneath that soldierly aspect, there was something else as well, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Suddenly, her searching gaze alighted on Tosh, and she actually looked frightened. Tosh and Owen, the only members of the team in the main office at the time, indulged in a rare moment of shocked silence.

"Got it in one," Jack interjected before anyone else could speak. He climbed down the stairs to greet Rose while she just stared at him, slack-jawed. He grinned at her, and she made a strangled noise in her throat. Giving her head a vigorous shake, she cleared her throat an tried again.

"Jack?" He stopped a step in front of her, eyes twinkling.

"The one and only!" That was all it took to launch the blonde into his arms with a grip that might've strangled a lesser man.

"Oh my god! I thought I'd never see you again," she muttered into his shirt. He held her close, unbelievably grateful to feel her in his arms again. In ways that would upset the Doctor, partially, but also with a sense of relief at regaining a long lost friend and confidant. They had been like family, once, and hugs were an integral part of the equation. Then, without warning, Rose pulled away from his embrace, grabbed his head with both hands and kissed him. Jack's eyebrows flew up while his eyes closed, and his brain shorted out.

"Sorry," came Rose's sheepish voice, ending the snog all too soon, "I always thought I didn't do that right last time." And was that a trace of smugness in her tone? He opened his eyes to see her orbs shining but her mouth grinning with just a trace of smirk.

"Huh?" he asked intelligently. "Oh! Right." He gave his signature smile, regaining his normal, suave manner.

"That definitely made up for it, sweetheart. But why so shocked? Didn't the Doctor tell you?"

"Oh, you know me," came a resigned voice from the TARDIS door, "Not much for words when actions do better justice." Rose did a half turn to look at him.

"Doctor, I thought I'd pulled the TARDIS back to Pete's World," she accused, put out. The Time Lord wouldn't even meet her eyes. And now that he had a closer perspective, what had changed about Rose Tyler became clear. Beyond her slightly military bearing, there was a new confidence. This was not an uncertain teenager anymore. Rose had rarely been hesitant in the face of danger, but now it looked as though she knew any bravery was warranted. Preparedness, one might call it, and along with that a new depth of... wisdom? What had she been through on the other side? His scrutinizing was interrupted when Rose turned her gaze on him.

"Why do you feel... weird?" she asked. Jack's gut clenched, and he could only hope he didn't look too stricken. _Not Rose..._ The Doctor, for his part, had replaced his guilty expression with surprise.

"You mean wrong?" Jack asked roughly, trying not to sound too bitter. Rose gave him a "What the hell is wrong with you?" look.

"Of course not! Why on Earth-"

"Sorry to interrupt the reunion. It's very touching, but we've been waiting patiently to find out what the hell is going on," griped Owen.

"Hello!" came a bright voice from the door. Everyone turned.

Ianto, as he let the door close behind them, explained, "Ms. Noble is back from shopping. Oh look, the glowing girl's out."

"You saw me glowing? I apologize if it was a shock."

"No, happens all the time," Ianto assured her with a smile. Rose laughed.

"Ah, Torchwood. I'm Rose Tyler, and if you're trying to look me up over there, you should know I'm legally dead," she announced, generating a guilty look from Tosh.

"Did you work for Torchwood One? Or perhaps Four? We haven't heard from them for well over a year," Ianto asked.

"No, sorry. I got stuck in an alternate universe and worked for their Torchwood. I have an ID here, see?" No one knew what to say to that, so a quick round of introductions began.

"...and this is the Doctor," Jack finished. Owen snorted, killing the Doctor's friendly smile.

"An alien with a random human title for a name?"

"The Doctor," Ianto repeated, nonplussed. Suddenly, he jolted with shock. "The Doctor? Not _Sir_ Doctor?"

Preening a bit, said alien answered, "Yep, that's the one. Sir Doctor of TARDIS and Dame Rose of the Powell Estates. And you're welcome, by the way, since without us your job wouldn't exist."

"What are you on about?" Owen demanded incredulously.

Jack just sighed and asked, "Ianto is the only one to ever read the charter, isn't he?" Most of the team gave him guilty looks while Ianto practiced his endearingly smug ceiling-glance.

"Well?" Tosh prompted after a moment.

"Just look it up. Anyway, I traveled with these two for a while."

Gwen spoke archly, "The right kind of doctor, eh? This fellow is the secret you've been so jealously guarding?" One look at her expression told Jack she was less than impressed with his reasoning.

"Uh..."

"Oh, don't be too hard on him. I have a lot of embarrassing stories about the poor man, and I bring nothing but trouble wherever I go," the Doctor assured her seriously.

"Truer words ne'er spoken," intoned Donna. "Blowing things up, inciting revolutions, getting arrested, draining the Thames-"

"That was you?" exclaimed Gwen.

"Donna, that was not my fault! Blast it, you were there!" The Doctor looked distinctly put out while Donna smiled, apparently pleased with herself for winding him up. Jack got the sense it was a hobby of hers.

Rose, who had been resting her forehead in her palm with exasperation, looked up and cut in, "If you all don't mind – I hate to be rude – but we need to borrow the Captain for a bit. We have some catching up to do." She shot the Doctor and Jack ominous looks that brooked no argument. The mercurial switch in mood caught him off guard. But of course, the questions must have been driving her crazy; it was impressive that she kept up the pleasantries as long as she had.

"Um- can I look inside your ship?" Tosh interjected meekly. Looking at her, Jack felt a little pity. For such a phenomenal piece of technology to be sitting in front of the techie but unable to be touched must be torture. Like placing a banana split behind glass would be to the Doctor.

"I'll show you the inside later," he promised politely but distractedly. He was looking at Rose with something like fear, but Jack couldn't see her face from his present angle. He found himself glad for it.


	4. Having it Out

**Title:** Settling In  
**Author:** Shen  
**Rating:** NC-17 eventually, PG this chapter  
**Characters:** Rose, Ten, Donna, Jack, Torchwood  
**Setting/Spoilers:** Sequel to Looking Within, in my Peril-verse (see my profile). Recap of said 'verse is at _http://shengirl_ _dot livejournal dot com/8390 dot html_  
**Teaser:** Rose has landed back in her universe in truly dramatic fashion, and it's quite a lot to deal with when it comes to settling back in! Post-reunion fic.

**Chapter 4: Having it Out**

**  
**Moments after Rose ushered Jack and the Doctor into the TARDIS, Owen grumbled, "Jack and his incessant secrets. Y'know, that still didn't explain why she was glowing."

"Some things just glow when they come through the Rift. Probably depends on the tech you use. Remember John Hart?" Gwen reasoned.

"Did you see any tech on her? She didn't even have a wrist strap!"

"...Bugger!"

* * *

Rose marched the men through the console room, down a hallway, and into an entertainment room. They sat at a card table, and she spoke first.

"Jack, I'm overjoyed that you're here and alive. But, Doctor, you're acting so guilty, I can't help but wonder... Did you know he was alive all along? Did we just leave him to die on the Gamestation? And, Jack, how did you end up here and now, working for Torchwood?" Her voice was shaking.

"Wait," Jack interrupted, "That's... a lot to get into. And, frankly, I want to know how you got back here and what you did on the other side. Before things get too tense." Rose stared at him incredulously.

"I asked first!" she exclaimed.

"Erm, I'm curious, too, actually. You gave me the severely abridged version," said the Doctor. Jack nodded and pointed at him.

"Ah, see? Two against one; you have to go first." Rose looked distinctly exasperated, but she knew arguing would only help her so much in this case. So, she told the tale of how she landed in Pete's World, had an identity fabricated, and began working for Torchwood. Skirting over Bad Wolf Bay, she explained her run-ins with the orlicks and krey. Appropriate commentary persisted throughout.

"Only you would save the Earth by making friends with a captive alien," the Doctor said warmly. However, his pride turned to shock at the details of the krey invasion.

"You redirected the signal from an alien psychic weapon and drove an entire invasion force mad?!" Rose grimaced.

"The ones that lived, yes. Honestly, I don't remember the act itself very well, and that was part of what made me decide to get some training. That and the name of the force's leader. Badwulf, if you couldn't guess." Trying to ignore the awed expressions on the men, Rose pressed forward. "Mickey and I figured monks would be a likely source of guidance."

After a short pause, Jack inquired teasingly, "So, was it like in _Batman Begins_? Did you become a ninja?" The Doctor giggled at the image, and Rose swatted him for it.

"Wha- He said it, not me!" His protests went ignored.

"No, I'm not a ninja. I picked up a few things, but that's neither here nor there. What I became was the sort of being that could use the energy of the Rift to call out to the source of my power and, apparently, cross the Void to meet her halfway. That's it; nine months in Japan and a few weeks at home again, working and spending time with everyone while I waited on a transfer to Cardiff. And a nasty weevil bite. Happy?" Rose almost stuttered in her haste to get through mentioning her family and friends. She didn't regret leaving them, but nothing could keep her from missing them terribly.

Jack nodded and said, "Fair enough. I'm not sure how you managed nine months living with what had to be several young and well-muscled Asian men sworn to celibacy, but we can discuss that later." He hesitated uncomfortably, glancing to the side. "The first thing you should know is that I haven't seen you in over 140 years." Rose's jaw dropped.

"Jack's truly immortal," the Doctor explained. "Has been all that time. He can't die."

With realization and horror dawning on her features, Rose stated, "Jack thought he would feel wrong to me, like he must to you. But he doesn't feel wrong to me."

"Well, he wouldn't, would he? There's a bit of you inside of him." The words were characteristically flippant, but the Doctor's tone was gentle.

"Don't... Don't look at me all concerned!" she exclaimed at them. She couldn't take it, not with waves of guilt crashing over her and threatening to drown. "I did this! I made you into what you are!" He couldn't _die._ Rose had no illusions about the glamor of that prospect; she'd seen how the Doctor's mere 900 plus years weighed on him, seen it in ways only a psychic lover could. Jack stood up and pulled her into his arms, shushing her.

"It's okay. You didn't know what you were doing. Honestly, I'm a little flattered that you took time out of altering space and time to think about me," he joked. Rose clung to him and breathed a few more apologies. Suddenly, she whirled on the Doctor.

"Did you know?" And so she got her explanation. A fuller one than Jack had originally gotten, as it happened. When the trio had stopped in Cardiff for the first time, when the Doctor was still in his ninth body, he had sensed some kind of temporal anomaly. However, it was not one he wanted to investigate; it made him shy away for some reason.

"What? Did you think that I could sense you a floor below me on the Gamestation but not when you were directly below the TARDIS? We parked on top of your Hub when we visited," he defensively explained. He nearly forgot about the feeling in the wake of Blon Fel Fotch's mischief and didn't put two and two together until after Jack was resurrected. First, he left the satellite in a panic, like he had admitted. He was regeneration-sick and skittish. Then, he considered returning for Jack, but with that same ill-sitting feeling in both the satellite and Cardiff, he realized it would foul up the timelines. Jack had to find his own way to 21st century Cardiff.

"But why didn't we go back for him then? Go and find him sometime after our pit stop?" Rose demanded. The Doctor looked pained.

"I don't know! I literally don't – I was going to get him next time we needed a fill-up! I could have done it sooner, but I thought..." He raised his hands and worked his fingers, looking like he was literally grasping for straws. "I don't know what I thought. We were having such fun, and I'd told you that he was needed in another timeline. Which he was. You didn't believe me, but that was easier than what explaining it to him would be like. Trying to make him understand without hating us. And then I lost you, and... I'm sorry, Jack, but I didn't want a reminder of her. Of when we were so happy. Between that and my instincts, I panicked and ran again." Finished, the Doctor stared down at the table in defeat. Rose could feel the anguish radiating from him, right alongside an overwhelming sense of shame. It was so much to process, she just had no clue what to say. Perhaps to give the Doctor a moment, Jack quickly butt in to explain his side of the story. The vortex manipulator on his wrist, leaping on the TARDIS, even forgiving the Doctor. Rose only half-listened, her mind buzzing with activity.

It wasn't her place to be mad. Jack had taken the brunt of the damage from this falsehood, and he had forgiven the Doctor. But she did have some right to anger. She'd been lied to, and had she not broken the laws of inter-dimensional physics and gotten back home, she never would have seen Jack again. Never would have known what happened. But if Jack wasn't upset, it would be stupid for her to overreact... Blast it, you couldn't exactly make a Time Lord sleep on the couch as punishment, could you? He didn't even need rest every night!

Finally, Rose clenched her fists and gave a short yell of frustration, "Aaugh!" The men sat back in their chairs, eyes wide. Then, she stood up abruptly and held her hand out to the Doctor, palm up.

"I need some money."

"...What?" he squeaked, dazed.

"I'm not leaving you, but I can't look at you right now. So I'm going shopping. And, since I'm legally dead, any money I would have had in accounts doesn't exist for me anymore. Therefore, I need you to give me some." The question threw into relief how dependent she had become on the Doctor, but putting it in the form of a demand helped a little. Besides, she had agreed to his life a long time ago; no sense despairing over it now.

Still staring at her agog, relief now mixing with the shock, the Doctor wordlessly fumbled in his coat and pulled out some currency. Sparing a glance at it to be sure it was from the right country and time period, he forked it over. Rose took – but did not rudely snatch – it from his hands, spun around, and stalked from the room.

* * *

"Donna! Are you shopped out yet?" Rose asked, falsely bright as she stepped out of the TARDIS. Donna blinked at her.

"No, I just went to one or two places; didn't want to be gone for too long."

"Wanna go out, then? Shopping, lunch, just us girls?"

"Sure!"

"Can I come?" Gwen asked.

"Oh yeah! As long as it doesn't get you in trouble."

"Sod trouble; let's go."

* * *

Jack and the Doctor sat in awkward silence, neither looking at the other. Eventually, the latter cleared his throat and spoke solicitously.

"Did we get you in trouble with your team? Gwen seemed a little angry." Jack grimaced.

"When I don't tell her about my past, she gets really upset. She doesn't understand that what's here and now is what matters to me. The past doesn't."

"The past matters, Jack. It makes us who we are here and now. But I understand what you're saying; when you live for such a long time, there's too much past, too much time you had available to you to do things you're ashamed of. And the future? There's too much of it to wrap your head around sometimes." Jack nodded, acknowledging that the Doctor was the authority on the subject. "Is it just her that gets so bothered by it?"

"No, but with her... with her it's the worst." The Doctor looked at Jack's face and... did not recognize his expression. He'd never seen it. Irritation, happiness, lust; these things were easy for the Doctor to identify on the former Time Agent, but this? Finally, it hit him. He knew what it was because he'd seen it on his own face – two of his own faces, actually.

"You love her," he stated with some surprise. "She doesn't just nag you the worst; her nagging hurts you the most." At this, Jack looked almost guilty.

"Well," the Doctor gently chided, "I'm obviously not the master of human relationships, but, well, look at where secret-keeping has gotten us so far?" He glanced ruefully at the door Rose had slammed on her way out. Jack let out a humorless chuckle.

"For so long, I told myself I didn't deserve her. And I really am bad for her – an immortal guy like me. But that year on the Valiant made me realize, I _want._ And can't I want? If she wants? And she does. I'd like to find out how much."

With a hint of teasing, the Doctor asked, "Are you saying that I might be right? Oh master of wooing?"

"I'm saying that you're a terrible influence," Jack replied. And he smiled, melancholy still present in his eyes but hope in his expression.

"Who knew I'd be one to corrupt _you?_" Then they cracked up, because that idea really was absurd.

* * *

Tosh and Ianto were chatting idly when the TARDIS door opened once again. Jack and the Doctor stepped out and looked around.

"Has anyone seen Donna? She's not in the TARDIS," asked the alien. Tosh nodded.

"She went shopping with Rose. Gwen decided to tag along, too," she explained helpfully. Then, to her surprise, both men adopted looks of abject horror.

End Note:  
The super-secret alternate ending to Looking Within is that Rose becomes a ninja. And Batman.


	5. Payback

**Title:** Settling In  
**Author:** Shen  
**Rating:** NC-17  
**Characters:** Rose, Ten, Donna, Jack, Torchwood  
**Setting/Spoilers:** Sequel to Looking Within, in my Peril-verse (see my profile). Recap of said 'verse is at _http://shengirl_ _dot livejournal dot com/8390 dot html_  
**Teaser:** Rose has landed back in her universe in truly dramatic fashion, and it's quite a lot to deal with when it comes to settling back in! Post-reunion fic.  
**Author's Note:** Please feel free to Brit-pick! Or otherwise comment. ;

**Chapter 5: Payback**

Donna, Rose, and Gwen stepped into the sunlight and smiled.

"Where to?" Donna asked genially.

"Your sense of style changes in a year. Gwen, where's a good place to shop for clothes?" And off they went.

"So," Gwen asked after a few moments, "why the sudden exit? You seemed upset."

"Let's just say I hope the Doctor enjoyed his morning, because he's not getting any for a few days," Rose grumbled, prompting laughter from the girls. Donna hooked her arm through Rose's.

"I like you." Rose smiled back at her.

Tickled, Gwen mused, "Interesting, isn't it? An impossible ship that travels in time and space, piloted by an alien, and the best way to punish him is still withholding sex. Just like any human domestic dispute." The women walked into swimsuits and began to browse.

"Won't be much fun for me either, but he deserves it! Being the all-knowing alien does not mean he can keep secrets from me. Not about things that affect me." Gwen turned to her.

"Jack's the same way! I can't even get his real name out of him. We only find out about a piece of his past when it shows up and kills something."

"Sounds like the Doctor," Donna commented. "Though he has so many violent aliens in his past, I can't blame him for not detailing every one to anyone that hops aboard."

"Well," Rose conceded, "Jack doesn't know his real name. When I met him, he'd recently had two years of his memory erased, and no good explanation for why. They took his name with it." Gwen gaped at her.

"He could have told me that! That's not worth keeping secret and driving me up the wall. It's like the principle of the thing for him. If someone stole his lolly when he was six, you'd have to beat the story from him with a bloody hockey stick."

"He might like that," Rose suggested. Then, she giggled at the disturbed faces the other women made. "Can you tell me about Jack, though? I want to know what he's been up to." Gwen's face lit up.

"If you tell me what he was like when you traveled with him, certainly." She and Rose swapped stories about Jack, and Donna laughed along with the funny ones. Rose could have asked her about her travels with the Doctor, but she wanted to hear about his time away from her from the horse's mouth, as it were. Still, she delighted in the fun of a girl's trip out. She'd forgotten what fun they could be; even nights out with Ingrid had always included Mickey and Jake. The trio moved into women's wear, but it wasn't too long before Donna dragged Rose into lingerie.

"Not much point in this, is there? We're off sex at the moment."

"Well, you'll get back to it soon, I imagine," Donna countered with a cocked eyebrow, eyes dancing. "And anyway, if he sees you bring this in and can't see you in it right away, it can only be further punishment." Rose could not argue with that logic.

After another hour of shopping and chitchatting, Donna declared herself famished. They settled on a café and got a table.

Gwen mused aloud, "We should teach the boys a lesson about secret keeping. Pull a prank."

"Will it really teach them anything?" Rose asked.

"Probably not. Do you care?"

Rose grinned and said, "Nope; I'm in. Donna?"

"I have nothing in particular against either one of them at the moment, but I'm always up for feminine mischief." They spent their meal conspiring. Piercings, kidnappings, tattoos – all fake, of course – didn't seem right. They considered borrowing someone's pet to take home, but Gwen turned that idea down.

"All Jack would do is scoff at me for thinking I could replace the pterodactyl with a cooler mascot." A long and subtle prank had uncertain chances of success, since they didn't know how long the TARDIS would be a guest of the Hub. Eventually, they decided on something simple.

* * *

Ianto took pains to suppress his smirk before bursting into the Hub.

"Jack! Doctor!" he exclaimed with convincing panic, "It's the girls; they're in the shop! They're injured, and one's… she's missing!" Eyes widening in horror, the alien and Jack flew from his office and ran full tilt for the door. As soon as they passed Ianto, he straightened up and patted his pocket, where the easiest fiver he'd ever earned rested comfortably. Owen and Tosh blinked at him, and he smiled back.

* * *

As soon as the men tumbled through the secret door, the women opened fire.

"Ugh!" Jack sputtered, quickly becoming soaked with water. They flailed ineffectually, ducking and trying to protect their faces and occasionally yelping, until the girls collapsed with the force of their giggling.

"Your faces!" Rose howled as she leaned heavily on her knees and gasped for air between guffaws. The Doctor glared at her and tried to push his sopping fringe out of his eyes.

"Amusing, is it?" he asked drily. Rose nodded enthusiastically. At that, the Doctor advanced on her purposefully. Realizing his intent, her eyes widened, and she tried to back away. Alas, the desk was behind her, and her reflexes were too crippled by laughter to save her from the pouncing Time Lord.

"Nooo!" she squealed as he swept her into his arms. She tried to shrink away from him, but he snuggled into her neck with his very wet head, and she couldn't help but laugh again. As angry as she was with him, this was what she had come back to have: home, wrapped in her Doctor, even if he did smell like wet Time Lord (which was like a summer storm with a dash of wet ferret). Then, she heard Jack speak.

"Hey, that looks like fun!" A sideways glance told her he was shooting a significant look at Gwen, his head bent forward and eyebrow cocked. Gwen, for her part, tried to flee, but it was to no avail.

"Workplace abuse!" she tried to wail between giggles as she was lifted off the ground from behind, Jack's arms around her stomach. Donna cackled at the spectacle. Rose half-expected one of the men to grab her so that no one in the room was dry, but neither seemed willing to let go of their burden. Suddenly, the Doctor sat Rose on her feet and pulled away just enough to capture her lips with his own. Amusement and glee flared across their link, and though their bodies were squished together with wet and uncomfortable clothing, it was wonderful. He broke the kiss to lean his forehead against hers.

"I missed you." It was a gentle whisper, and Rose didn't know which separation he was referring to.

All the same, she teased, "It's only been a few hours," with absolutely no real annoyance. Her brown-haired alien was making it very difficult to remain cross.

"Aaaaww!" The obnoxious drawl came from Jack's direction. He paired it with a smarmy grin, but Rose just shot him one back.

"'Aw' yourself." He blinked, and Gwen blushed, still in the circle of his arms. At some point, she had stopped struggling against him and leaned back instead. Just then, there came a jingling noise, followed by a masculine, American voice.

"Hey, I kinda got turned... around..." the tourist trailed off as he took in the scene before him. Two soaked and two damp individuals, one dry person, two intimate-looking embraces, and a floor scattered with shopping bags, water pistols, and puddles. Gwen hurriedly pulled away from Jack and went to the man. She very congenially gave him directions and a few restaurant recommendations while everyone else hung about awkwardly, scuffing their feet or smiling with false brightness. Eventually, his departure allowed the group to open the secret door to Torchwood.

* * *

The Doctor went to his room for a shower and change. Rassilon knew what was in the water shot out of those ridiculous toys. It smelled funny, like chemicals and the plastic the pistols were made out of. When he left the ensuite, something struck him as odd about the room. Brief analysis revealed an arrangement of photo frames on a wooden bedside table the TARDIS must have scrounged from her prodigious depths. It had appeared on what was generally Rose's side of the bed, and the ship had added a reading lamp to boot. Stepping closer, the Doctor took in images of Jackie and Pete (which reminded him; he had photos and things from the old Tyler flat that Rose would probably want to see), Rose, Mickey, Jake, an unfamiliar, wiry woman, and a baby in varying combinations. The Doctor had to chuckle at a particular picture wherein the Torchwood agents had posed in various movie poster-esque stances, guns drawn and faces overly serious. Rose had stood back to back with Mickey, Jake kneeling to their left and aiming into the distance. The woman appeared to be in the middle of a very dramatic roundhouse kick.

"Excellent use of company time and equipment," he muttered to himself with a smile. Rose had bought picture frames and apparently wasn't so angry at him that she'd changed her mind about their home. That was positive.

The Doctor wandered the TARDIS and found Donna first. She was engrossed in a trashy novel that he would guess Rose had recommended to her; the blonde had read the appalling thing at least three times that he knew of. Eventually, he found his human in her old room.

"Blimey," he breathed, astonished. "I didn't think you could make this into a bigger mess, but you've surpassed all previous calculations!" He barely dodged the beach towel that flew at his head.

"I'm going through my things. I'm not going to wear some of this stuff ever again, so I may as well give the poor a chance to enjoy it," Rose explained. As she spoke, the Doctor began nosily poking around the bags she had deposited by the door. Something red and shiny caught his eye, and he pulled it out to see what it was. Then, he felt his eyes grow as wide as saucers, because a silky, tiny piece of lingerie hung from his hand, and his brain had seized with the attempt to imagine what it would look like hugging the curves of his lover. 'Image cannot be rendered; processor in danger of overheating,' he thought with vague amusement. Suddenly, the garment was gently tugged from his grasp and dropped back into the bag.

"Don't torture yourself." Rose's voice drew the Doctor's mournful gaze from the bag up to her face. Which, he noted, held a slight blush. "I'm still mad at you." The stern tone was ruined by a minor shake in her voice and the sense of "self-impressed" that flitted across their link. The Doctor gave her his best injured puppy pout. Rose looked pained.

"Oh, don't look at me like that! That's cheating."

"But, Rose, what can I do about it now?" Triumphantly, he noted the way Rose gave a start. She hadn't thought that far! Ha! Rose sighed.

"Just... Tell me, what did you do to make it up to him?" The Doctor blinked, mind abruptly blank.

"What?"

"You heard me. Timelines aside, you had to leave your close friend in a terrible situation. What did you do to make him forgive you?"

"I, uh... apologized? Oh, and I offered to let him travel with me again! I was very inviting." He nodded sagely, struck with the seriousness of such an act. Rose, however, looked less than impressed.

"..."


	6. Pillow Talk

**Title:** Settling In  
**Author:** Shen  
**Rating:** NC-17  
**Characters:** Rose, Ten, Donna, Jack, Torchwood  
**Setting/Spoilers:** Sequel to Looking Within, in my Peril-verse (see my profile). Recap of said 'verse is at_http://shengirl_ _dot livejournal dot com/8390 dot html_  
**Teaser:** Rose has landed back in her universe in truly dramatic fashion, and it's quite a lot to deal with when it comes to settling back in! Post-reunion fic.  
**Author's Note:** I'm going to call this Torchwood continuity sometime between 2x08 "A Day in the Death" and 2x09, "Something Borrowed."

"_Just... Tell me, what did you do to make it up to him?" The Doctor blinked, mind abruptly blank._

_"What?"_

_"You heard me. Timelines aside, you had to leave your close friend in a terrible situation. What did you do to make him forgive you?"_

_"I, uh... apologized? Oh, and I offered to let him travel with me again! I was very inviting." He nodded sagely, struck with the seriousness of such an act. Rose, however, looked less than impressed._

_"..."_

**Chapter 6: Pillow Talk**

Rose stood with her hand to the side of her head, looking at the ground to her left and inhaling a slow breath. The quintessential picture of disbelieving frustration.

"You... apologized?" she asked incredulously, letting her hand fall to her side. The pained look she gave the Doctor made him want to squirm like a schoolboy caught shoplifting. But he wouldn't be chastised and made to grovel; he was a Time Lord and would act like one.

"What would you have me do? What can possibly say, 'Sorry for leaving you to walk the slow path for 140 years?' Eh?" he demanded snidely. To his chagrin, it didn't even give her pause.

"Some kind of gesture, at least! He'd forgive you anything; you know how Jack feels about you. But I'm sure he'd appreciate something that shows you really mean it."

Still stuck on the bit about Jack's feelings, the Doctor queried, "What?" Rose waved dismissively.

"Don't be thick. Doctor, what did I miss? What really happened between you two? And before that, all that time I was gone?" She waited for an answer, but all he could do was gape at the sudden turn in conversation. It had gone from giving Jack flowers or something to dragging up intensely painful memories. However, he slowly closed his mouth and set his jaw. His expression was resigned but without malice. She had obviously been thinking about this, as would only make sense. He had already gotten her story, after all.

"You really want the whole shebang? It'll take a while." Rose regarded him silently, seeming to search his face. Whatever she found there made her nod, then hold out her hand. He took it, an act as natural as breathing, and she began to tug him.

"C'mon." The pair ended up in their room, where Rose crawled onto the bed. Flopping onto her back, she leaned on some generous pillows and patted the spot next to her. "Let's get comfortable." Bemused, the Doctor took off his trainers and laid beside her, only to be hauled bodily until he was half on top of her.

"Rose, this is the kind of comfortable that results in no talking. Unless you count, 'Oh God, Doctor.'" That statement earned him a swat on the arm, and he could feel the heat rising to her face.

Adjusting them further, she muttered, "If you weren't a conglomeration of elbows... there. Is that cozy?" To his surprise, it truly was. He lay on his side, head pillowed on her breast and hand toying with hers. He wasn't sure this was terribly masculine, but...

"Cushy." The Doctor didn't need to look up to tell that Rose was rolling her eyes, but she kissed the top of his head anyway. The hand that lay behind his back began to stroke it lightly, and he hummed in relaxed pleasure. Of course this was masculine; men from Rose's time (and most times) loved getting closer to the chests of their females. Absolutely no need to move.

Softly, she spoke, "Something besides me happened to you while I was gone; I can tell by the way you look. By the way you _feel_; something's still eating at you. And the way Jack was insisting I forgive you made it sound like he thought you'd been through enough. So tell me." The Doctor stiffened at the prospect of reliving their time apart; he was all too eager to pretend it had never happened now that he had Rose back. But she began to stroke his hair, and he relaxed. Genius, this position, he realized. Maximum comfort without making him look her in the eye. He didn't want her to see his face, either, with the broken and lost expression she should have seen the last of in his old body. "It's what I'm here for, good times and bad, right? My forever goes to a reckless Time Lord, and I can take anything he can dish out, or what good am I?" she joked. If her phrasing came perilously close to "for better or for worse," he ignored it. Instead, he gave in to her request.

* * *

The couple lay in silence, the wake of the Doctor's confessions rolling over them. Rose knew her hand was rubbing his back, but her mind was miles away. Just as she thought, she'd had her family, and what had he had? He wouldn't go to Jack, he didn't turn to Sarah Jane for some reason, and Donna turned him down. This Martha person had come along, thankfully, but so had the Master. The only remaining member of his species besides himself, and it was a colossal disaster. The hopes he may have had... What could he have done with another Time Lord? Found a way through the Void? Combined their DNA to make test tube Gallifreyans? Even just had someone to reminisce with, no matter if the Master despised him.

Rose had lost her world, once, and even in an alternate version of it, she was tremendously grateful for Mickey and Jackie. Someone who knew what real chips tasted like and would call Pepsi by the name she knew for it instead of "Perky Cola." She couldn't imagine what it would be if there was no one left who knew what it was like to be human, and then to have an opportunity to change that ripped away after a year of anticipation. Rose missed her family dearly, but returning to the Doctor held no regrets. Her support was his.

She wrapped her arms around him tightly and breathed in the scent of his hair. For as long as she could do anything about it, he would never feel so alone again. She nudged the Doctor's mind, and, after a moment's hesitation, he let her in. Raw ache filled her sixth sense, but she embraced it, wrapping herself around him and sending waves of tranquility. It was like a balm, and she felt his grip on her hand relax.

"I love you," she spoke into his hair, "and I'm sorry." He shifted to look up at her, and his expression made her heart break.

"Sorry for what?" he croaked.

"For leaving you. For taking so long to get back. For everything you had to go through."

He whispered back, "I'm sorry I didn't get to you first, and for telling you it was impossible, and not rigging up a harness in the first place."

"And trying to send me through without asking the first time?" she asked, hating herself a little for the jab but needing to air the grievance. He looked stricken but quickly recovered, shaking his head in denial

"I- I'm so sorry. The timelines, I knew something would happen; I could feel it. I was... scared. And your mother never would have gone through had I not."

"She's stubborn that way," Rose allowed. His words made sense; he had warned of a storm coming long before Canary Wharf, so at the point of the event, his instincts must have been screaming.

"Like someone else I know," he said, finally cracking a smile. He placed his hand on her cheek and added, "And I love you for it."

"Do you think-" she started, surprising even herself, "I mean, is it possible that you won't be the last one? That we could... make another one?" She blushed but held his gaze, assuring him she meant what she was asking. Realization dawned, and the Doctor laid his hand on Rose's lower stomach. At his questioning look, she nodded, and he smiled broadly. Joy began to sing through their link.

"We can try! If I were going to try with anyone, it would absolutely have to be you. We'd yield the most handsome children by far, and it's not nearly so fun to try with someone else. Not that I have, in this body, but I'm nearly certain you're my favorite. Best fit. Top banana." He ceased his babbling to lift her shirt and kiss her abdomen, light brushes of lips that tickled.

"Not right now!" she giggled. "I want to travel with you awhile before I have to share, and we haven't even left Cardiff yet." The Doctor abandoned her stomach and snogged her properly. She made a happy noise, savoring the feeling she had gone without for so long, before regretfully pulling away.

"There's still Jack," she reminded him. Suddenly deprived of her touch, the Doctor looked betrayed. Unmoved, Rose insisted, "He deserves something. Poor man found the TARDIS again only to spend a year in hell; that's hardly fair." The Doctor flopped onto his side beside her.

He assented with a sigh and suggested, "I could let him sleep with you. That would make him happy."

"What?!" she yelped. Then, shock bloomed on his features as he read something in her.

"You wouldn't mind, would you?!" he blurted. Rose started guiltily but quickly regained her composure.

Severely, she told him, "I'm curious! Hard not to wonder about all the hullabaloo. But I wouldn't; you know that. So no point trying to prostitute me for Jack's good favor." On the last sentence, she shoved him for good measure. Eyes twinkling with amusement, he nodded curtly.

"Good, because you're mine. And I'd have to kill him."

"For all the good that would do."

"Ha. Hey, what about Gwen?"

"What about her?"

"As you might put it, he has it bad for her. Isn't playing matchmaker something you should be good at? That's what television tells me about young female humans."

"But Gwen told me Jack's shagging Ianto." Rose and the Doctor blinked at each other, then merely shrugged. This was Jack, after all. Rose curled onto her side to face him.

"She's engaged, you know."

Agog, the Doctor exclaimed, "Jack didn't tell me that! Still, he seems to think- rather, to _know_ she wants to be with him. And he wants to find out exactly how much. He wouldn't let himself get so invested if there wasn't some chance."

"Now that you mention it, he seems to drive her batty in ways only a man you care for can. She talks about his secret-keeping the way I talk about you sneaking bananas into the bedroom. Especially after the way you made fun of Howard."

"I get hungry! I don't just pass out for a third of my life like you humans. And with whom are you discussing my bedroom habits?" the Doctor argued indignantly.

"I don't mind you getting hungry; I do mind finding banana peels midway on their journey to compost under the bed. In any case, matchmaking is a more complex demonstration of our friendship than, say, a fruit basket, but if you think it has a shot..."

At that, he proudly proclaimed, "I already told him to cut the secret keeping." Rose smiled at him and gave him a quick kiss.

"Good thinking. Still, we might have to be quick about it. We can't keep the TARDIS obstructing their work space forever." At that, the Doctor gave a slightly devious chuckle.

"My dear, I have just the thing for both of those problems!"


	7. A Romantic Jaunt?

**Title:** Settling In  
**Author:** Shen  
**Rating:** NC-17  
**Characters:** Rose, Ten, Donna, Jack, Gwen, Torchwood  
**Setting/Spoilers:** Sequel to Looking Within, in my Peril-verse (see my profile). Recap of said 'verse is at_ http://shengirl_ _dot livejournal dot com/8390 dot html_  
**Teaser:** Rose has landed back in her universe in truly dramatic fashion, and it's quite a lot to deal with when it comes to settling back in! Post-reunion fic.  
**Author's Note:** This chapter is illustrated, again. Poorly, again. XD I doodled my new alien species... in MSPaint. Enjoy.

**Chapter 7: A Romantic Jaunt?**

For all that this was supposed to be the Doctor's penance, Rose found herself doing an awful lot of the work. Still, she felt bad enough about her own discretions towards Jack that she wouldn't protest. Besides, she was uniquely qualified for what had to be done.

"Please, Jack? I know you turned down the Doctor, but it's just one trip. For old time's sake? I missed traveling with you." Rose punctuated her plea with big eyes and a tentative smile.

"I dunno..." Jack muttered uncomfortably. He shifted his weight and glanced to the side, sure signs he was about to crumble.

"With you to help him, the Doctor's driving won't be nearly as bad, so you'll get home on time. And I'll ask the TARDIS to make sure. Please?" Finally, Jack cracked a smile.

"Alright, sweetheart, but only 'cause you asked." Jackpot! Stage One: success.

* * *

"Go with you?" Gwen asked incredulously.

"Yeah! Just one trip in time and space. Planning a wedding is stressful, am I right? This way, you can spend a whole day away and be back five minutes later," Rose assured her. Gwen seemed intrigued.

"Will I meet aliens? Not that I don't do enough of that at work-"

"Not the same," Rose stated almost too firmly. Clearing her throat, she continued, "Just trust me. I worked for Torchwood, and it doesn't compare with smelling alien air, eating the food, seeing how they live... And, most of the time, there's less shooting."

"Only most of the time?" Gwen asked, unsure whether to be amused. Rose waved her hand dismissively.

"Oh, y'know, things happen. Keeps it interesting. But don't worry; between the lot of us, we must know a thousand different ways to break out of jail. So, interested?"

"Is anyone else going? I'm sure Rhys would be curious." Rose grimaced.

"Maybe next time. The Doctor prefers to limit the number of 'unknown elements' on his ship," Rose explained honestly. "Tosh got her tour of the TARDIS when we were shopping, at least. Oh, and Jack's coming." Rose smiled and looked at the other woman hopefully.

After a moment's hesitation, Gwen gave a broad grin and said, "Well alright! Who could turn down a holiday from time?" Stage Two: success!

* * *

The next day, Gwen and Jack trouped into the console room, where Rose and the Doctor stood waiting. However, the latter looked slightly peeved.

"I suppose the two of you are armed to the teeth as well?" he asked belligerently. Rose glared at him.

"Oh, don't be dramatic." She turned to the newly arrived pair. "He's mad because I have my pistol. As, I expect, you two do, as well."

"You never needed a gun before! Jack couldn't be parted from his blaster, but you, Rose Tyler, were better than that." Ooh, that holier-than-thou attitude that her mind's eye had glossed over! It had been worse in her first Doctor, but this one had his own style of arrogance.

Rose argued back, "It was different then, Doctor! And I was not 'better.' If you run around with a gun when you don't know how to use one, you're just as likely to top yourself or your mates as you are to shoot the bad guy."

"Are you a good shot?" Jack asked, intrigued. Rose winced.

"Well... no. To Mickey's endless amusement. But I know when it's safe to shoot, and a gun is good for intimidation in a pinch, isn't it? Learned that much from you. As long as we go to a planet where it won't cause more harm than good. It's a tool, not a crazy pill, and I'm not going to cause trouble with it."

"Jack's a good teacher, if you want to improve," Gwen suggested helpfully. At this, Jacked looked obscenely pleased, which Rose found cute.

"Thanks. I might stop in for target practice, but I was never the top fighter. I do avoid it if I can. More of a... delegater, me." Somewhat mollified by Rose's down-putting of violence, at least ideologically, the Doctor softened.

He pulled her head towards himself as he said, "And a diplomat." He kissed her temple. Then, quietly, he muttered, "Rambo."

"What?" exclaimed Rose.

"So what you're saying is that you just want me to keep you i limber /i ," Jack said with a cheesy grin. Rose felt the Doctor stiffen and turned her head to see a shocked and indignant look on his face. Jack, of course, was completely unrepentant, and the girls laughed at them both.

"All ready, then?" Donna asked as she walked into the room.

"Looks like it!" Having already input the coordinates, he hit the dematerialization switch and began making other necessary adjustments as he spoke. "Alright, children, we're going on a day trip to a festival. It's on Bellwats, quite the tourist destination at this time of year. The local fauna have a mating dance in the forest near the town. It's spectacular to see! Glowing, colorful insects as big as your index finger flying in sync – hundreds of 'em! As soon as the suns go down." Bickering forgotten, the group stood in companionable silence. Rose had to restrain herself from jumping up and down like a child. Oh, she'd i missed /i this! A glance to the side told her Jack was experiencing similar glee.

After several minutes and a surprisingly soft landing, the Doctor threw his arm up, gesturing to the door.

"Rambo? Han Solo? Princess Leia?" he asked cheekily, looking to Rose, Jack, and Gwen in turn, "What're you waiting for?"

"You're not calling me Rambo!" Rose managed to bite off before giving into her excitement. Then, she was scrambling excitedly to the door at the heels of Jack and Gwen.

"You're Rambo as long as you need to conceal and carry!" the Doctor called after her. Ignoring him, she stepped out the door and stopped, breathing deep. Oxygen, thankfully, with the scents of nutmeg and... lemon? Odd scent for a forest. And that oddness was fantastic! Looking around, she saw that the leaves on the trees were thick and waxy, leading her to believe the area didn't get much rainfall, but they also had a bluish-green tinge.

"What about me?" she heard Donna complain as the woman stepped out of the TARDIS. The Doctor sighed.

"You travel with me every day. They got the special flourish because it's their first time or first time in a long time. You can have a nickname if you want, though."

"No, I don't think-"

"Pippy."

"What?!"

"You're ginger; Pippy Longstocking was ginger. It's set in stone now."

Donna began to loudly protest, "Why you arrogant-"

"That's odd," the Doctor interrupted her blithely.

"What's odd?" Gwen asked with some worry.

"This isn't Bellwats; the shrubbery's all wrong. I don't recognize this place."

"You brought us to the wrong planet?" Jack asked, grinning as if this was the best thing he'd heard all day.

Rose remarked, "Sounds like a festival or a market's nearby anyway, though." Everyone fell silent, and, sure enough, music, laughing, and the sound of bartering could be heard. Rose grinned, regaining her giddiness. Jack was no calmer.

"Then what're we waiting for?" he said, grabbing Gwen's hand. Before he could run off, however, the Doctor grabbed his shoulder and whispered something into his ear. Jack's eyes widened, but then he nodded and ran off with Gwen, babbling about how the TARDIS would translate everything for her. Rose cocked an eyebrow at the Doctor.

"Told him not to mess up this opportunity. Even if this place isn't as romantic as the one I'd intended. So, ready, my dear?" He offered his arm and smiled endearingly. Rose squealed and ignored his proffered elbow, instead grasping his hand and dragging him toward the sounds of civilization. She heard Donna chuckle behind them, and glanced back to see her following at a more sedate pace.

They drew up short when the trees cleared. Ahead of them was a bustling marketplace with stalls made out of a smooth, purple material. They lined the flatly-paved street tightly. Each one was loaded with odds and ends - clothes, jewelry, gadgets – and the smell of food wafted from a nearby street. Various aliens roamed about, including tree people from Jabe's planet, and even the odd group of humans could be seen. However, much of the crowd and all of the stall-workers were of a people with short, light blue fur. The ones Rose presumed to be male were about five to five and a half feet tall and had antlers, like a miniature version of what one would see on a deer. The females were half a foot shorter, on average, and both genders had four thin arms with four-fingered hands at the end and a pair of two-inch long, black, gleaming, almond shaped eyes.

(Illustration! _http://i253__ dot photobucket dot com/albums/hh52/shengirl/Ressen dot jpg_ )

Not too far away, Jack was discretely hacking a cashpoint with his wristcom.

As Rose walked up to them, she heard Gwen tease, "Honey, I told you it was stupid to store your ident numbers on your computer! What if someone steals it?" A clever rouse, Rose thought.

"You know me, sweetheart – dense as can be. Ah, there they are!" Jack said, hitting a few buttons on the cashpoint and retrieving a hefty amount of currency. Rose saw that Gwen couldn't contain her impressed look. Jack winked at Rose before leading his employee away.

"Check back at the TARDIS in two hours!" the Doctor called to them. Then, he waltzed up to the freed machine and sonic'd some currency for the three remaining time travelers.

"Let's go see where that music's coming from!" Rose suggested excitedly. The Doctor gave her an indulgent smile and began to follow. Donna told them to go off and enjoy a few hours alone and that she would see them in two hours. Apparently, shopping was her goal for now.

The music came from a local dance exhibition. The rhythms were bass-heavy, full of brass and flutes that trilled through light melodies; they lifted the spirit and set the foot tapping. The dancers themselves spun and leapt in time, entrancing both travelers for several songs. However, Rose's stomach soon decreed that it was time for breakfast. The Doctor found something human-safe and portable to eat (tasted like fish sticks, had the consistency of beef jerky), and the couple began a leisurely walk-and-munch tour of the stalls.

Suddenly, halfway through their meal, they both froze mid-step. One of the locals plowed into them, and, angry at their abrupt halt, indignantly delivered some TARDIS-censored words that were almost certainly impolite. However, neither time traveler paid her any heed.

"Do you feel that?" the Doctor asked unnecessarily.

Worriedly, Rose responded, "Yeah."


	8. Playing Bloodhound

**Title:** Settling In  
**Author:** Shen  
**Rating:** NC-17  
**Characters:** Rose, Ten, Donna, Jack, Gwen, Torchwood  
**Setting/Spoilers:** Sequel to Looking Within, in my Peril-verse (see my profile). Recap of said 'verse is at _http://shengirl_ _dot livejournal dot com/8390 dot html_  
**Teaser:** Rose has landed back in her universe in truly dramatic fashion, and it's quite a lot to deal with when it comes to settling back in! Post-reunion fic.  
**Author's Note:** Updated a bit faster this time, no?

**Chapter 8: Playing Bloodhound**

Once staring at the alien surroundings and people like a wide-eyed tourist came too close to giving her whiplash, Gwen turned her attention to Jack. She watched with fond amusement as he oohed and aahed over one of the larger gadget stalls. While she barely recognized an item on the table, her boss was behaving like a child in a toy store. He rarely got so... giddy. Gwen found it endearing to see him let go of his seriousness like he was.

"Finally, real technology! Not quite from my century, but compared to back home? There's a lot to like about the simpler times, but you get to missing things, you know? I can't let any of these things wind up in civilian hands, but if I just keep them in the Hub..." he trailed off as he wandered to another stall and began to compare their wares with the first's.

Gwen followed him and teased, "So you think I'm 'simple.' Nice to know how you really feel."

"Working for Torchwood makes it so you're not _so_ much a... product of your time," Jack assured her distractedly. He selected a few choice items and considered them closely for several moments.

"Jack? Are you sure we should be separating from the group?" Gwen asked a little nervously. For the first time since they'd arrived at the current cluster of tables, Jack stopped what he was doing and looked at her. He delivered a confident grin that lit up his handsome face.

"Trust me. With the way the Doctor and Rose attract trouble, this is the safest place we can be."

* * *

Said trouble-magnets were standing in the middle of a street, thoughtful looks on their faces. Thoughtful and unsettled. The Doctor reached a hand out to his lover, and she took it, offering wordless thanks. It was just a niggle in the back of her mind at first, but when she concentrated, she could feel a wave of negative emotion. No anger, just hurt and distress. It was heartbreaking, in its way.

Rose looked at the Doctor, and he nodded. They each bolted down some of their food before discarding the leftovers, linked hands again, and followed their noggins.

"It's like a psychic distress call," Rose remarked. "I've never heard anything like it. What do you think it is?"

"No idea," responded the Doctor, "but isn't this why we travel? Discover new things and help them if we can. And it feels like this thing needs it." Rose squeezed his hand, and he alloted her a brief smile.

"I feel like a Jedi bloodhound," she joked, trying to lighten the mood. "Sniffing out a Force most people can't even conceptualize."

"Terentatek," said the Doctor. Rose blinked at the alien word.

"Tarantula tech?" she quipped, being deliberately obtuse. She smirked at him playfully, but he just patted her head.

"Of course, dear." She swatted his hand away and gave him a mock glare, drawing a laugh from him at last. Impulsively, she stood on her toes to kiss his cheek before pulling him along again.

In time, their feelings led them to a more sparsely-populated street. There were fences in front of the alleys, and it was before one of these that they drew to a stop. A brief inspection revealed a loose board that they could just fit through. Beyond it, they found a creature stuck in what was clearly a trap. It's leg was crushed in a very low tech device, a cross between a bear trap and a giant mouse trap. The poor thing looked like a cat-sized hedgehog with no mouth. Rose didn't want to know how it ate.

"Rarjrog!" the Doctor exclaimed, surprised. "Of course. They're the only empathic creatures on their planet, so when they're in trouble, they call for help in a way only other rarjrogs can hear. Clever trick of evolution. This one must be someone's pet." Rose shuddered to think what kind of city pest such a large trap was_intended_ to capture. Instead, she whimpered at the distressed animal.

"Is it safe to try and get it out? Does it-" she had to pause when she realized she was going to say "bite." "Is it going to hurt us?"

"Those spines aren't for decoration. But maybe we can calm it down; think happy thoughts at it or something." It seemed silly, but Rose didn't have any better ideas. So, the couple slowly crept closer, projecting serenity. Suddenly, about four feet from the rarjrog, Rose's knees buckled. Her mind was beset by great pressure, pushing down her barriers.

"Not... again!" she growled, frustrated. While a psychic attack like this one would have laid her out before Canary Wharf, experience and training kept her conscious and fighting. Still, she could feel herself crumbling, and the Doctor, with his greater telepathic awareness, was faring no better. He groaned in pain, clutching the sides of his head. Rose cast her gaze to the left side of the alley and noticed a door, which was cracking open. However, the pain became too much to bear, and her eyes squeezed shut of their own accord. The walls in her mind were breaking down, including the ones between her and the Doctor. Her annoyance and fear flew in his direction, while his own alarm plowed into her. Worry for one another, the Doctor's guilt at landing them in danger for their first outing, it all swam between them in increasing quantities. The last thing Rose saw before she blacked out was an image from his mind: A familiar octopus creature shouting, "It's a trap!"

* * *

Jack and Gwen walked up to the TARDIS at two hours on the dot and found Donna waiting for them.

"Very nice!" she commented, nodding towards Gwen. Gwen thanked her happily, and Jack beamed. The Welsh woman was wearing a colorful scarf he had bought her, and, in an inspired bit of flirting (if he did say so himself), he had also nicked an orange flower from someone's garden and placed it behind her ear. It matched part of the scarf, but it also gave him an excuse to run a hand through her hair and caress her cheek with real Jack Harkness finesse. To his delight, a kiss on the cheek had been his reward. It wasn't an alleyway shag, but baby steps in the right direction are always good.

"So, we beat the Time Lord at being on time?" he observed.

"Yep. He's not inside; I checked," said Donna.

"Maybe they found somewhere new and interesting to shag?" he postulated. Gwen laughed, and Donna shook her head at them.

"Not everyone's like you, Harkness," she sighed. "Besides, they set the meeting time in the first place."

"Well, let's call them just in case they forgot. I have the number to Martha's old phone, if he has it on him," Jack suggested. Martha had kindly given it to him when she had played UNIT emissary.

"I swear he pulled five different shoelaces, a rubber chicken, and a travel iron out of those pockets once; there's not much he doesn't have on him." Donna handed over her superphone, then explained its modification to Gwen while Jack called the Doctor. No answer. Calling Rose's old number gave the same result.

"No luck here." The trio decided to wait ten more minutes, in which Jack dropped his purchases inside the TARDIS and fruitlessly searched for a protocol for pinpointing the Time Lord's location. However, when that time passed, it was time to start searching.

"Do you think they're all right?" Gwen asked. His mouth set in a grim line, Jack shook his head.

"Could be, or they could be in trouble. But before we freak out, we'd better check the local jail, first." Local law enforcement: the old standard. Best to eliminate the simplest possibility first.

* * *

Rose jerked awake with a gasp, fleeing from nightmares. However, her reflexive flight to a sitting position was cut short, and she fell back to the bed with a "whumf." She was in a bed. Hadn't she been in an alley? Correction: She was _strapped_ to a bed! Her captors had used padded cuffs reminiscent of the leather ones used in mental institutions at home; a design that apparently needed little improvement over the years. Turning to her right, she saw the Doctor in an adjacent bed. He was looking at her with some concern.

"I knew we'd be sectioned someday," she said wryly.

"Not the first time for me." Rose tried to take in her surroundings from her limited vantage point. She was in something like scrubs. Ugh, she hated it when other people changed her clothes; the idea made her skin crawl. The walls were smooth and off-white, and the room had just one sliding door, in the direction of their feet. There was a panel next to it, but it clearly required a fingerprint to open. Finally, she didn't see one, but she would bet a tenner that there was a camera somewhere.

The Doctor broke the silence with, "So much for your precious gun." Oh, honestly, of all the times to be smarmy!

"Shut up, Doctor." Her inner clock told her she had been unconscious for over an hour; the two hour meeting time had come and gone. Where were they? It had to be hard to haul two senseless bodies through the city; maybe they were in the building she'd seen? Rose listened... and felt her heart sink. The Doctor must have sensed her fall in mood as well, because his gaze turned more sympathetic. Around them was the unmistakable sound of a ship engine.

* * *

Gwen, Jack, and Donna walked out of the local jail, all of them unsettled. No humans had been arrested that day. They would have to start searching in earnest, but where to start?

* * *

About twenty minutes after Rose regained consciousness, the lone door to the room slid open. In stepped one of the blue-furred, antlered people of the planet they had just left. The Doctor wasted no time raising hell.

"Who are you? Where have you taken us?" he demanded.

"You've got a lot of guff for a man tied to a bed," the alien remarked, his almond-shaped eyes glittering with dark amusement.

"You've picked the wrong tourists to kidnap!" Rose threatened, holding herself every inch the Bad Wolf. She would show no fear to this arrogant jerk.

"Cute. Look, I don't have all day, so if you want to know why you're here, you'd best be quiet." Both Rose and the Doctor glared balefully but said nothing. "Right, good. You've been picked up for experimentation on telepaths. Weapons experimentation, to be specific. The rarjrogs did their part, but we need to test on something more... complex."

"You can't just pluck people off the streets! There are laws, agreements! And don't tell me there aren't, because you wouldn't have all those tourists if there weren't," growled the Doctor. The alien just shrugged.

"What the public doesn't know, right? And don't try appealing to the nurses. They've been told you're mental patients, so if you try and tell them that the fine, upstanding doctors plucked you off the street to experiment on your spooky 'psychic' powers – totally imaginary, of course, because psychics don't exist – they'll just up your meds."

"You keep your mentally ill in a space ship?!" Rose exclaimed.

"Can't wander off then, can they? More importantly, this is the government's model institution. Pride of the health services! We usually sit in orbit, but sometimes we kindly fly off to give other planets demonstrations. Help them get their own facilities running properly. We're actually starting a new session in a few days!" He gave a sinister smile. Oh god, they were flying through space, away from the planet and the TARDIS!

End Note: There is a very nerdy Star Wars joke in this chapter, and... actually, I'm not sorry. :-p Look up "terentatek" if you're not sure.


	9. I'm Not Crazy!

**Title:** Settling In  
**Author:** Shen  
**Rating:** NC-17  
**Characters:** Rose, Ten, Donna, Jack, Gwen, Torchwood  
**Setting/Spoilers:** Sequel to Looking Within, in my Peril-verse (see my profile). Recap of said 'verse is at _http/shengirl_ _dot livejournal dot com/8390 dot html_  
**Teaser:** Rose has landed back in her universe in truly dramatic fashion, and it's quite a lot to deal with when it comes to settling back in! Post-reunion fic.  
**Author's Note:** I'm really sorry for the wait, and I'm not usually one to deflect blame off myself, but I think we should blame this one on my boss. Worst Spring Break ever. -.-

**Chapter 9: I'm Not Crazy!**

"He's forever telling _me_ not to wander off and get in trouble. Well I tell you, he's never hearing the end of this," Donna declared. Even after just a few days of knowing her, Jack easily saw through the loud aggression and irritation to how worried she was. And as they stood on the steps to the local police department, utterly clueless as to the location of the Doctor and Rose, he had to concur with the feeling.

"Alright, they haven't been arrested, and they're not answering their phones. If they were just shagging, I think they would've let us know they're okay by now. That leaves us with unconsciousness and/or kidnapping," Jack reasoned. As almost painfully down-to-earth as he usually was, he didn't even mention death as a possibility. Yet. That Rose would die on her first outing since her homecoming or that the Doctor might regenerate was too cruel to even contemplate.

"Who would want to kidnap them?" Gwen asked.

"I dunno; it could be anything. What sets them apart? What would entice a kidnapping?" he prodded. He saw the glimmer of recognition in Gwen's face; he was conducting himself as if it was any other Torchwood situation, brainstorming the case. Time to get the facts in order.

Donna started off, "They're human, or look it. Most of the locals seem happy for our business, but not everyone might agree."

"Good! On that train of thought, someone could have realized that the Doctor's a Time Lord. They're good for any number of things, and he being the last, he's a bit of a commodity," Jack added. He rather hoped that wasn't the case; it would be even money whether the perpetrator wanted to draw on some energetic property of him, such as artron, or if they desired revenge for some perceived wrong done by his people. Only very remote odds applied to the idea that someone just wanted his help.

"That could be it. I've only known Rose for a short while, but I don't think she'd be parted from him, even if he was kidnapped. They might not have a choice in taking her along for the ride," Gwen postulated, and Jack nodded at her encouragingly.

"Don't forget, they'd be likely to investigate anything that seemed even remotely suspicious. If they meddled with some local criminals..." Donna trailed off.

"Definitely. Rose is almost as good at that as the Doctor, and on top of that, those looks of hers can attract some negative attention. Especially that hair; don't know why she insists on dying it still."

"Well, I might not be mister hot shot head of Torchwood, but I've been doing this long enough to know where to start." Donna started marching back up the stairs towards the police station. Jack began to follow her, but a gentle tug on his arm made him stop and turn. Gwen was looking up at him a little nervously.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his tone much softer than the briefing room curtness of a moment before.

"Jack, I want to help you find your friends, but I don't know the first thing about this. I mean, we're on an alien planet!" Gwen whispered. Attuned to her as he was, her distress was palpable. Perhaps not the best time for it, but Jack couldn't begrudge her the moment. Everyone's first trip through time and space, the enormity of the concept, tended to leave the person with a sense of being in over his head. Needing to dive into the thick of trouble right away only ever made it worse.

Placing one hand on her cheek and the other on her arm, he said, "Just like at home. Police work is police work; the only difference is that we don't have little cards that let people know how important we are." Jack momentarily wished he hadn't lost his psychic paper decades ago, but then he remembered that humans were mostly visitors to this planet, not officials of any kind. "And you know that's more of a hindrance than a help sometimes anyway. Alright?" Gwen regarded him for several seconds. Then, she gave a short laugh and let her head fall.

"I'm sorry, Jack." She looked up at him again. "You must be so worried, and here I am having first time jitters. I should be comforting you, not the other way around."

"Hey, don't underestimate those two. Getting into and out of trouble is a TARDIS traveler's job; we're just their insurance policy." Jack smiled at her and (the Doctor would be disappointed if a little peril kept him from taking advantage of the trip like he'd intended, right?) pulled her into a brief hug. Very brief.

"Oi!" came an obnoxious voice. He turned to see Donna standing several steps up and tapping her foot impatiently. Rather than speak again, she rapped her wrist with two fingers, where a watch would be if she was wearing one. Jack merely nodded at her and pulled Gwen along as he headed Donna's way. Time to work.

The alien at the desk was surprised to see them again but greeted them politely enough.

Wasting no time, Donna asked, "Has anyone gone missing lately? Any humans?" The desk worker showed a half-moment of shock.

"I am sorry, what is your concern exactly?"

Gwen stepped forward and said, "Sir, we're just so worried. Our friends have gone missing, and we just wanted to know if this has happened to anyone else." With pride, Jack noted the lost and pleading gaze she was shooting the alien. Eyes widening with sympathy, he seemed to be eating it up.

"I apologize for my rudeness! Give me a description of them and a picture if you have it. I can have the officers keep a look out for them, though they need to be missing for a day before there is an active search. I am sure you understand."

"Of course," Jack responded smoothly, making sure to look grateful. "But has anyone else gone missing?"

"No humans, no. A kindlenfugburten, a few plurghs, some wapks in the last few weeks, but no humans. And some of those were probably fleeing intentionally from their parties – that happens in tourist spaceports. So do not worry; perhaps your friends merely got lost or distracted by the local culture, yes?" He smiled encouragingly, and Jack gave what he hoped was a watery smile, a man trying to put on a brave face. The trio gave a good description of the Doctor and Rose, as well as their clothing, and promised pictures to follow. Upon exiting the building, Jack led them to the TARDIS.

Once there, he found pictures of the couple - he hoped they wouldn't mind him borrowing snapshots from their room, since his had no pictures of Rose's current age or the Doctor's current body - and sent the girls off with them while he went to the library.

* * *

For maybe an hour and a half after the alien left Rose and the Doctor strapped to beds, during which she became increasingly concerned about bodily functions, no one disturbed them. However, their discussion was limited by the possibility of bugging. Their bond might have allowed them to trade ideas silently, but the pair were still recovering from the effects of the psychic weapon that knocked them out in the first place. Rose knew from experience that such things left one scattered, vulnerable, and telepathically sloppy. Maybe if they could touch... Still, it barely mattered. The couple was without their belongings, including lockpicks, sonic screwdrivers, and knives, and the scrubs they wore offered no escape from the straps, much less the room.

However, after that hour and a half, a kind-faced nurse entered through the sliding door. After offering them both a brief but genuine smile, she walked behind Rose's bed and began wheeling it out the door.

"Where are you taking me?" Rose demanded, glancing desperately back at the Doctor. The nurse halted her pushing and smiled again.

"Oh, do not worry, love! You are safe here. I am just taking you to your room," she explained patiently. She started to wheel Rose away again.

"Wait!" cried the Doctor, making her pause once more. "We're just travelers – tourists! - and we've been kidnapped onto this ship. We're not crazy!" The woman stood up straighter, somehow affronted.

"Of course you are not- crazy," she said, whispering "crazy" as if it was a curse. "You poor dears are sick is all. You are here to get better!" And she wheeled Rose out. The blonde let her head plop back onto the pillow in exasperation. That bastard government worker hadn't lied; anyone capable of helping them wouldn't believe a word they said. It was no reason to stop trying, of course, but it couldn't be depended on. Another plan was in order.

Rose heard a second set of steps join the nurse's as she was pushed down the hall, and a moment later, an enticing smell wafted to her nose. The nurse exchanged pleasantries with the newcomer, a man, and all three of them moved into a room. Rose looked around. The soothing yellow walls weren't metal or plastic-like, instead reminding her of... rubber. Ha. Well, at least she wouldn't hurt herself when she inevitably began banging her head on the wall in frustration. There was also a narrow bed and what looked like an antechamber in the back.

"This might sting, but it will be over soon!" The nurse took a blood sample with a gun-like device, but Rose didn't protest.

"That's fine, just doing your job. But we're telling the truth, y'know; neither one of us is insane. We were visiting your planet on a lark is all, and someone knocked us out. Don't you wonder what else goes on in this ship besides treating the sick?"

"Do not fib. You were transferred to this ship from a medical transport that landed on the planet today. And your family must love you to pay for it; we offer the best care available," the second alien said a little sternly.

"I was never on a medical transport! We landed this morning, like I said – voluntarily."

"What is the name of our planet? Our species? What is the date?" he asked. Rose felt her face burn; they hadn't found out any of those things just taking in the sights and snacking that morning. Satisfied with her silence, the man nodded. Rose bit back a scream at his self-righteousness; it would only make her seem more insane.

Instead, she pressed on, "I lost track of time is all, and we sort of ended up on your planet by accident, so I didn't have time to find out what it was called. My friend's a terrible driver. But I did see your dancers!" Rose described the music and movements she'd seen, as well as the general layout of the marketplace. The nurse began to look doubtful, but the man – an orderly? - dismissed her.

"Alright, that is enough. Up with you, before your food gets cold. There is a bathroom back there," he said, gesturing towards the antechamber, "and you can rest after lunch if you want. Your treatments do not begin for a while yet." The word "treatments" barely had time to send a shiver down Rose's spine before the pair of hospital workers undid both sets of her cuffs. Shocked, she nonetheless leapt from the bed with alacrity, just in case they changed their minds. The orderly offered her a tray of what smelled like turkey and gravy. Rose's only food that day had been a truncated snack, hours gone, so it was quite tempting.

"There you are! Human safe food," the nurse announced, beaming. Still, Rose glared at it warily.

With a little more impatience, the nurse continued, "Come now, dear, if we wanted to drug you, we could have done it when you were strapped down." Rose did not enjoy being treated like a patient with paranoid delusions, but there _was_ logic in the words. So, she took the food and sat on the bed to eat it. The nurse pushed the wheeled bed out the door while the man guarded her from Rose, never turning his back on her. Cute. Those antlers might have been something to watch out for, but these aliens were still short and delicate-looking; Rose felt confident she could defeat one if necessary. However, an escape would only do so much good yet.

"Where is my friend?" she asked. There would be little hope of steering the ship or even an escape pod without the Doctor, so locating him was the first priority.

"Same as you, I expect. Room, food, rest, so do not worry. Goodbye now!" The nurse waved as the orderly hit the button to close and lock the door.

* * *

Jack stared at the computer screen worriedly. Kindlenfugburten (it had taken him about fifteen tries to get a spelling close enough to turn up a search result on that one), plurghs, and wapks were all one thing that humans usually weren't: telepathic. Wapks were highly empathic, even towards non-psychic species, making them some of the best lie detectors out there. The other two races could form strong psychic links. Jack felt a little bit daft; even the earlier brainstorming session had neglected this as a possibility. He kept forgetting Rose's power, as new to him as it was. But at least they had a starting point. Now, who would want to kidnap psychics, and why?


	10. A Guinea Pig with Fangs

**Title:** Settling In  
**Author:** Shen  
**Rating:** NC-17  
**Characters:** Rose, Ten, Donna, Jack, Gwen, Torchwood  
**Setting/Spoilers:** Sequel to Looking Within, in my Peril-verse (see my profile). Recap of said 'verse is at _http/shengirl_ _dot livejournal dot com/8390 dot html_  
**Teaser:** Rose has landed back in her universe in truly dramatic fashion, and it's quite a lot to deal with when it comes to settling back in! Post-reunion fic.  
**Author's Note:** How's that for faster?

**Chapter 10: A Guinea Pig with Fangs**

Rose lay on the bed of her padded cell, contemplating the ceiling while a snifglidian worm crawled around in her abdomen. Shortly after the nurse and orderly had left her there, she realized why they were letting her have food, rest, and some comfort.

A weapons test is hardly useful if the subject is tired and weak.

Though she didn't want to go along with _any_ plans or desires of this sick program, it seemed even more foolish to go into danger and suffering at lowered strength. So, she ate and laid down, waiting and thinking. How to get out of this mess? Hopefully, the Doctor had an idea, because she hadn't an inkling.

Eventually, the door slid open, and two aliens walked in. Rather than medical staff, these men were clearly military, blank looks on their faces and stun guns at their hips. To Rose's dismay, one held a three foot pole with another, shorter pole attached perpendicularly to its end by three links of chain. Each end of the shorter pole had a thick handcuff.

"Put your wrists in, and he will lock them," ordered the one holding the device. Painfully aware of her odds against two alert, armed soldiers, Rose complied with a glare.

"You lot sure are impressive. Afraid of human cooties?" The pair ignored her and began pulling her out the door and down the hall. A few moments later, as another door became visible on the right, a faint jumble of feelings not her own tugged at Rose's consciousness. Discomfort tinged with fear. Just after the door began a large, glass section of wall starting at hip level, and then Rose understood the sensation she was getting. Beyond the glass was a slew of rarjrogs, huddled in too-small pens with dirty water troughs. Rose had time for a short whimper of sympathy before a rough tug on her cuffs reminded her that she was in need of more help than the giant hedgehogs at the moment.

After an elevator trip, she was drawn into a laboratory. The government dog who had "greeted" her and the Doctor upon arrival was waiting for them, and now Rose could see his nametag: Bletz. He smiled creepily at her as she was forced onto a reclined chair and her cuff bar attached to a hook above her head. A soldier secured her feet as well, and several dishes were turned to face her.

"Welcome! Did you enjoy our hospitality?"

"The food was a little dry, and the help is denser than your ego," Rose replied flatly. This just caused Bletz's almond-shaped eyes to twinkle.

"Spirit! Good; maybe you'll last a little longer than our last few test subjects. Trapping psychic tourists really is quite dull." He turned and began flipping switches and checking monitors, but he continued to speak over his shoulder. "You may be happy to know your friend hasn't been tested yet. You get to go first! Or maybe that's a bad thing? No matter; he came up non-human on the blood test, so we have to carefully consider what tests to give him. It'll be easier once we figure out what he is, though. Fantastic opportunity – all the more data for our experiments!" Oh god. Despite Rose's very immediate concern for herself, the idea of these people realizing the Doctor was a Time Lord brought a fresh surge of panic. She didn't know what they would do with the information, but it could never be good. Meanwhile, Bletz glanced at a particular monitor and smiled.

"Don't like that idea, do you? Your heart rate just jumped." Rose remained silent and concentrated on calming down. In her search for mundane thoughts, she realized that Bletz was the only blue, antlered alien to speak in contractions. Why was that? Did he come from a different part of the planet? Different caste? Or did he just watch too many alien movies in his youth?

"Ready?" Bletz asked brightly. He abruptly flipped a switch, and Rose's world narrowed to the barriers in her head. Something was pressing in on them, something frenetic and shifting, and it was frankly terrifying. She closed her eyes and focused. Breathing even, muscles unclenched to keep physical tiredness from distracting her, panic controlled. However, she dimly heard the man continue to speak to her.

"I call this the Madness Machine. It should leave the victim in a state of confusion and panic. If it works, we can make our more... 'gifted' enemies hallucinate whatever we want! Because any images we send them will just be a spot of clarity in the storm. Won't even have to kill them ourselves!" He would have to pardon Rose if she was less than impressed with the sinister genius of the concept; she could barely imagine the chaos and horror it could cause. Of course, that she could imagine anything at all beyond maintaining the barriers in her head was a testament to the weakness of the machine. The earlier knockout wave had been administered when she and the Doctor were not just unawares but deliberately psychically open, trying to calm the injured rarjrog. These scientists severely underestimated her skills while prepared.

"She is showing impressive resistance, sir," came a new voice. "Her heart rate has actually slowed."

Bletz responded, "Turn it to four." Suddenly, the slithering presence redoubled its assault on Rose's mind. Her fear rose, and with it her walls cracked. Madness slipped in, aided by her natural dismay at the situation, and a surge of wild, animal terror shot through her. Eyes now clenched shut, she let out a whimper she was too distracted to feel ashamed of. The force slid around every push back she gave it, pulsed and writhed, un-containable and unrelenting. She was forced to fall back and back until coming up against a hard barrier in her mind that had yet to be breached. Bad Wolf. Usually, it sat in a corner of her unconscious, in a well surrounded by a clear, circular wall. Now the golden power boiled in its container, agitated.

It was not something she liked to rely on, especially since its effects on her body were far from certain, but madness was swiftly claiming her. Images of old foes dredged themselves up and flashed before her. Slitheen and cybermen called for her destruction, and then a cyberman began to speak with her mother's voice, yelling at her for missing curfew. Next, Rose poured a blue bucket of liquid onto the Slitheen, only to have it grow into a raging Jagrafess, and a Dalek marched the Doctor into her sight at the point of its laser, and – the Doctor! The Doctor was at stake here, and so was her sanity. There was no choice!

Rose let herself fall through the last wall in her mind and tap the golden power within. Immediately, its cleansing fire threw the wave from her awareness. Mind clear again, she opened her eyes. Judging by the looks she was getting, they were glowing again. However, this situation wasn't as simple as the one on the Krey ship; reversing the wave and blowing it outwards would only harm the Doctor and any other innocent psychics on board. The blue aliens wouldn't feel a thing. So, she redirected all the power into the machine. With monumental concentration and effort, the feedback loop held and began to overload it. When it began sparking, the scientists panicked, but it was too late. It shorted with a burst of blue light and went dead. Immediately, Bad Wolf flew back to its pen, no longer needed.

Rose fell backwards in exhaustion. She wasn't free yet, but the pain was over, and for that she was grateful.

"What are you?" Bletz whispered with something like reverence. Panting, head lolling back, all Rose could do was glare down at him as his awe was slowly replaced by glee. "Oh, this is most exciting! Your tests came back human, but you're something else, aren't you? We may even have use for you outside of being a test subject. Because with power like that, you're a living weapon." He waited for some kind of response, but Rose's wit was drained. So, he ordered the soldiers to return her to her room while he thought of what to do next. She managed to stumble along behind them, the pole a harsh motivation not to fall behind, and upon arriving in her cell, she did what she always did after unleashing her inner wolf: slept.

* * *

Donna's eyes narrowed at Jack as she trouped along behind him. She wasn't as oblivious as she used to be, but even a monkey that watched as many chick flicks as she had could tell that he was flirting with Gwen. That was an engaged woman! Honestly, there should be some kind of propriety, and was a kidnapping investigation any kind of time for this?

She watched as Gwen turned to him and said something. He responded with a smile and nod, touching her on the arm for just a moment too long before jerking his head towards some vendors. And, heaven help her, did Gwen's return smile feature eyes that were just a _little_ gooey? As soon as she walked away, Donna grabbed Jack's elbow and jerked him around, tearing his gaze away from the other woman's exterior.

Looking charmingly injured, he asked, "What?" Donna leaned in close to him.

"You know what! Did you see the ring on her finger, or does that not matter to you?" she chastised in a whisper. All innocence left the man's expression, and he stood taller.

"Leave it. She's a big girl; she can handle herself." His stern tone nearly goaded Donna into a very impolite response, but it was interrupted by Gwen.

"Come here! I've got something! If you're done trading fashion tips," she called back to them. Jack took a step back from Donna and acquired the disgruntled look of a man experiencing nagging in stereo.

Turning towards his employee, he smiled and called out patronizingly, "Yes, honey!" He started to walk towards Gwen, but she glared at him so hard he stopped in his tracks. At that, Donna had to laugh, earning her a very unamused glance from Jack. Maybe Gwen could handle herself somewhat – not that she was letting Mr. Fancyshirts and Braces off the hook.

Gwen explained that the effort of showing the Doctor's and Rose's pictures to various people had paid off; this food vendor had seen the two head around a particular corner. The trio were so pleased, they bought lunch from the man, something like a sauerkraut sandwich with some kind of delicious meat. Much better than the cold "treat" Donna had bought for breakfast, which tasted like chives and had the consistency of porridge.

Munching their food, they turned the corner and surveyed the task ahead. The good news was that the street ended where the forest began, a dead end. The bad news was the numerous other dead end roads and alleys leading off of the present one. Searching this whole area...

"Shit," Gwen stated. Donna supposed that was a good a way to state the case as any.

* * *

Rose came to with a comforting sense of clarity. That was Bad Wolf for you: Hell of a kick, but no hangover. As she sat up and began to contemplate her situation, one fact made itself very clear. She and the Doctor could not remain here. Every moment brought their captors closer to realizing what they had, and every test would bring the couple farther away from being able to help themselves. And if they couldn't jail her and the Doctor together, she would just have to circumvent them.

Rose left the bed and sat cross-legged on the floor, just as she had been taught at the monastery. It wouldn't do to be _too_ comfortable. Closing her eyes, she receded within herself and gathered her psychic faculties. Things were clear; she was in control. After taking stock of herself and marshaling her concentration, she extended her awareness outward, using the the thread of her bond to the Doctor as her guide.

She was in luck; he wasn't far. If she had to guess, they were on the same floor. That made sense; the elevators on this ship were only barely large enough for the wheeled beds they had arrived in, so why waste effort taking him elsewhere? However, upon her first gentle nudge, she almost whimpered for him. It was the Doctor's presence, but it was so trembling and small that it was to her relief that he did not recoil from her. She began to prod and embrace him, trying to wake him up and pull him back together. He was tired and worn by what seemed to be physical pain, but they hadn't time for him to rest.

Rose had a plan, but she needed his help.


	11. Friends in Low Places

**Title:** Settling In  
**Author:** Shen  
**Rating:** NC-17  
**Characters:** Rose, Ten, Donna, Jack, Gwen, Torchwood  
**Setting/Spoilers:** Sequel to Looking Within, in my Peril-verse (see my profile). Recap of said 'verse is at _http/shengirl_ _dot livejournal dot com/8390 dot html_  
**Teaser:** Rose has landed back in her universe in truly dramatic fashion, and it's quite a lot to deal with when it comes to settling back in! Post-reunion fic.  
**Author's Note:** Life's been beating the everloving daylights out of me and my ability to concentrate, and the plot bunnies really didn't stand a chance. You'll be happy to know, however, that this fic is going to have 1-2 more chapters, one of which will be illustrated nicely (as opposed to my crappy doodles that are just rough visual aids), and the Patron Bunny of Sequels smacked me directly in the back of the head in class yesterday, so that's been started. Recap included today, since it's been so long.

**FULL STORY RECAP: **Rose appeared in the middle of Torchwood 3's Hub, giving everyone quite a shock, and then the TARDIS materialized around her. Jack let himself in and helped a very surprised Donna and Doctor stabilize Rose after her trip through the Void. There were some happy reunion moments (and fast, needy reunion sex) up until Rose found out what the Doctor had done to Jack on Satellite Five, at which point she kidnapped all the other women for a shopping and lunch trip. She then told the Doctor they had to make it up to Jack somehow, and he thought it would be a good idea to set him up with Gwen. Even a real life Casanova needs help sometimes. So, they got Gwen and Jack – and only those two – to agree on a trip in the TARDIS. Of course, this did not go as planned, and they ended up in a market on a planet where the military lured off and kidnapped the Doctor and Rose to use for psychic experiments. So, Donna, Gwen, and Jack are running around looking for those two, while the pair have been tied down, told they've been admitted to an insane asylum, and experimented on. Last we left off, Bad Wolf!Rose broke one of their machines. I would give a quick glance over Chapter 10, if I were you, just for the best clarity.

**Chapter 11: Friends in Low Places**

**  
**Rose was in a deep state of meditation, shut inside her head and communing with the Doctor to the fullest extent their bond would allow in its current state. She had a plan to escape their cells, but he was necessary to it. They couldn't afford to wait out another round of tests, either; the time to act was now.

Rose sent him soothing comfort to ease the shivering, traumatised mass that was his mental presence. Loved and stroked, it calmed until the Doctor was merely enjoying a dreamless bout of unconsciousness. Then, she did her best to throw the psychic equivalent of a cup of cold water on him. He stirred only reluctantly, but she nudged him to wakefulness. After taking a moment to orient himself and concentrate, he could be felt all the stronger. Rose sensed that he was impressed with the connection she'd initiated. At her questioning notion, the Doctor sent a snatch of memories floating her way. When they hit, Rose experienced a flash of remembered sensation, the Doctor caught in a moment of blinding pain. These people had a weapon that caused psychosomatic pain? Oh, Bletz, that rat bast- Rose swiftly lost her feel of the Doctor and caught herself before her descent into protective rage broke her concentration entirely.

Instead, she sent him a constructed image of the pair of them fleeing out a door. The picture had them in two dimensions, floating more than running, but the point was they needed to escape, and soon. In response, Rose received a picture of a toy space ship zooming by, then a thumbs-up. She hoped that meant he was capable of flying the model of ship they were in. Mustering some real focus for about two minutes, she managed to communicate one word: Distraction. She could tell that the Doctor understood but had no thoughts on what to do to cause one. So, Rose informed him of hers.

* * *

After a long, tiring mental conversation, Rose lay back on her bed to rest. Bond or not, she wasn't about to give up her mobile anytime soon; her head felt like mush. All it wanted to process was daytime television and maybe, given the opportunity, the best vinegar-to-chip ratio for optimum deliciousness. Still, minutes later, the door to her room slid ajar. Rose cracked an eye open to see the same two guards that had picked her up earlier, but this time they hung farther back in the hallway rather than coming in. Instead, they poked the pole-and-handcuff apparatus through the door and ordered her to put it on. It seemed she'd frightened them with her show earlier. All the better.

Rose started to get up but froze when her feet touched the ground, closing her eyes tightly as if hit by a sudden cramp. She sent a spark down her link with the Doctor, the signal to start. Then, she put her mind to the task, meditating as deeply as she dared with the guards at the door. Unfortunately, the lion's share of the effort would be on the Doctor's shoulders.

"Hey! Get up and come here; no tricks!" ordered one of the soldiers. Rose opened her eyes and glared at them with annoyance.

"My leg's asleep! It'll just be a moment, jeez," she whined dramatically. Slowly as she dared, she rose and limped towards the cuffs that awaited her and tried to keep most of her mind on executing her idea. Her wrist was inches from the restraints when, finally, there was a crash down the hall. Rose watched both soldiers turn their heads to see. They had just enough time to widen their eyes in shock before a sea of over-large hedgehogs bowled them over. Rose grabbed the pole as they fell and yanked it away, then swiftly knocked the men out with it once the animals had gone. With haste, she dropped the makeshift weapon, stole key cards and a stun gun from the prone forms, and unceremoniously shoved their thankfully light and delicate bodies into her room. That would be two less aliens to worry about. Her next priority was to find the Doctor.

Fortunately, he was a mere three rooms to the left, a location that their mental communication had helped her pinpoint.

"Rose, that was brilliant! Use the empathic nature of the rarjrogs to incite a little rebellion – I knew I kept you around for some reason!" he raved with a huge grin as he stepped out of the cell. Rose just gave an embarrassed little smile and chuckle and extended her gun-free hand, which he took automatically. Then, she started to turn around and pull him along but instead stopped, turned back, and flung herself into his arms. He met her without hesitation, and Rose got the impression she would have had quite the pout to contend with had she not embraced him. So she snuggled close, and while it was weird to have him in nondescript scrubs instead of his characteristic suit, the lean musculature under the fabric was all him, and she clung to it desperately for a moment.

"Watch where you're pointing that stun," he joked into her ear. Rose dug the business end further into his back, making him stiffen before pulling away from her in dramatic, mock alarm. She laughed, delighted just to be with him again despite the continuing danger, and held out her hand once more.

"C'mon, we need to find our things and leave. Are the escape pods on this ship any good, do you think? Because if we don't find our clothes, I don't fancy storming the bridge in our jimjams, however well it worked out last time."

"Stop!" came a voice from behind her. She spun partially and saw a group of three orderlies and nurses coming up behind them. Rose and the Doctor started to run the other way but came up short; four more aliens blocked the way. Rose automatically pointed the stun gun their way, glancing backwards from time to time. One had a uniform Rose hadn't seen yet, and she surmised the woman was a doctor. She certainly wasn't military, because all four newcomers looked as surprised to see escaped patients as said patients were to see them.

The doctor regained her poise first, making a calming gesture and saying, "It is alright! You will return to your rooms, yes? It is unsafe out here with all the animals running about; let us take care of it!" Rose resisted rolling her eyes.

"Oh, for the love of... We are not mad."

"Look at us! Do we seem clouded? Confused? Isn't our speech clear? Look at our eyes. I mean, what kind of medical professionals are you?" the Doctor demanded.

A nurse wisely answered, "Just because you are coherent does not mean you cannot have paranoid delusions." The Doctor sighed and glanced over at Rose. She could sense his urgency and had to agree; it was a matter of time before Bletz went looking for the soldiers she'd incapacitated.

"You've got all that Bad Wolf power; can't you... You couldn't, maybe..." he waved his hand haphazardly at a pair of orderlies. Rose quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Doctor, I can't use Force Lightning. I'm a psychic, but I'm not a flipping Jedi!"

Alarmed, the Doctor said, "I didn't want you to _electrocute_ people! And for that matter you don't have to be snip- wait, since when do you know what Force Lightning is?"

"Mickey had a phase- oh my god, now is not the time. You!" she interrupted her own exasperated explanation and directed her gaze towards a male nurse. "Why do you think you even have a military detachment on this ship? Do you wonder what they do all day?"

"We do not concern ourselves with what the military does. They are here for our protection when in space controlled by other planets, and we thank them for staying out of the way of our healing otherwise."

"Why do they keep the livestock?" the Doctor demanded.

"Experiments? Probably trying to discover how the things eat without mouths," answered an orderly. Inexplicably, the Doctor grinned.

"We were told you lot don't believe in psychics?" he asked cheerily. Everyone had just enough time to blink confusedly at the change in subject before the click of claws against hard flooring met their ears. The aliens behind the Doctor and Rose spun around to see what was coming, but the motion came too late for two of them. A rarjrog, eyes wide with panic, plowed headlong into their spindly legs and left them sprawled on the ground. The creature's fear was palpable to Rose's mind and must have been obvious to anyone looking, but to her surprise, it slowed to a trot. Next, its eyes calmed, despite being surrounded by people on all sides. It came to rest by the Doctor's leg, and he kneeled to pet it.

"You're a nice little spined creature, aren't you? Just needed a little TLC, eh? Ssshh." Under the Doctor's ministrations, the rarjrog stopped panting and started gazing up at him adoringly. Rose gave into the cute and began to pet it as well, being sure to stay with the grain of its spines.

The Doctor glanced up and quietly said, "I guess as long as petting small animals still comes before pointing weapons, there's hope for you yet." He glanced pointedly at the stunner, which was now aimed at a random spot on the ground. Rose stuck her tongue out at him.

"What did you do?" asked a blue-skinned nurse. The Doctor stood to look her in the eye.

"They're empathic. It's how they communicate, sharing their primitive feelings rather than making noises at each other like the creatures on your planet do. The silent communication protects them from discovery by predators. And these poor things were scared out of their minds because we unfortunately had to startle them into creating a distraction for us. You see, if someone is telepathic, he can project a mood onto them; they're very impressionable. And if you can think of another 'logical' reason for me being able to calm it without so much as body language, I'd like to hear it." There was silence from the assembled hospital workers, neither denials nor assent.

Rose spoke from the ground, "Your army uses these empathic creatures to study psychic power. They want to create a weapon. And their experiments needed something more complex to use as test subjects, so they kidnapped us, real psychics, _sane_ psychics, to use. Are there any other aliens on here brought by the military? Because if they seemed sane at first and slowly grew mad, it's because your shipmates tortured them!"

"Alright," relented the doctor after a long pause. "I believe you."

* * *

"Aha!" came Jack's gleeful shout. He had been doing a concentrated scan for alien tech on each street of the largely abandoned little neighborhood where the Doctor and Rose had last been seen. Had he scanned the whole town or even the whole neighborhood at once, readings would have been too jumbled and numerous to sort through, seeing as they were on an advanced alien planet. However, he'd found nothing more complicated than home computer terminals up til now, and those only in the houses nearest the main thoroughfare. But this dank little alley had one shack that lit up like a Christmas tree.

He irreverently broke the lock and let himself in, Donna and Gwen close behind. Upstairs, they found a rather impressive-looking terminal with multiple readouts.

"This beauty here, she's got to be military grade. Judging by the rest of the planet anyway. Looks like a weapons control center in this area, though nothing I recognize," he said gesturing to the right part of the setup. "Full communications array in the middle, and that might just be a short-range teleport on the left! Compact, classy setup, though that chair's made for someone with an awful skinny rear bumper. It'll do."

"Men and their toys. I haven't seen you this excited since Ianto bought a new stopwatch," Gwen commented. Jack turned around and regarded her coldly.

"It was waterproof," he stated defensively, the twinkling in his eyes belying his deeply offended tone. Donna smacked herself in the forehead in exasperation.

"Get on with it, then! They disappeared without a trace, and you've found a teleport. Now let's get them back!"


	12. Storming the Bridge

**Title: **Settling In**  
Author: **Shen**  
Rating: **NC-17**  
Characters: **Rose, Ten, Donna, Jack, Gwen, Torchwood**  
Setting/Spoilers: **Sequel to Looking Within, in my Peril-verse (see my profile). Recap of said 'verse is at _http/shengirl_ _dot livejournal dot com/8390 dot html_**  
Teaser: **Rose has landed back in her universe in truly dramatic fashion, and it's quite a lot to deal with when it comes to settling back in! Post-reunion fic.

**Chapter 12: Storming the Bridge**

Jack spent a good thirty minutes hacking into the computer terminal he, Gwen, and Donna had found. The whole time, he was desperately grateful for the TARDIS' translation circuit. Not only did it greatly facilitate his work, it assured him that the Doctor at least was alive somewhere that wasn't a galaxy away. Uncertain of the range of the ship's connection to her Time Lord, however, he worked as fast as he could.

Once into the system, Jack was rewarded with heaps of information.

"I was right; this is military. The instructions for this operation are still up, too, and it even turns out they're psychic kidnappers. This teleport is for transporting captives to a military vessel."

"Transporting them for what?" Donna asked with trepidation. Jack grimaced.

"Study, probably. Or, I hope. Since it's military, I can only assume they're doing weapons R and D." The eyes of both women widened at what their considerable imaginations brought forth. Jack could only agree with their worry; weapons research was anything but pleasant for the subjects. And who knew what kind it was? Physical, biological, psychological?

"Well, after them then!" Donna prompted, pulling herself from her stricken reverie.

Not as enthusiastic, Gwen asked, "Is that the best idea, invading a military ship? Couldn't we wait until they get to their destination? It might be easier to break into there." Jack shook his head.

"Even I can't pilot the TARDIS without the Doctor; we'll be stuck here and unable to follow them or even go home. And don't expect to understand anything these people are saying without him to connect us to the TARDIS' translator, either. Rose and him might escape on their own, but I'd prefer to be proactive about it. Right?" Both women nodded, though Gwen's gesture was a second behind Donna's. "We'll take them by surprise when we appear – Donna, stay behind Gwen and I. We can wing it from there." The trio readied themselves to dematerialize, and Jack hit the appropriate button. And nothing happened. It was then he saw the little box in the corner of the screen, proclaiming in friendly green letters that transport was impossible at this time.

In a voice touched with dread, Jack explained, "The corresponding teleport equipment is out of range. We can't reach the ship this way." Why couldn't they have found this place sooner? Jack let himself wallow in worry for his friends for a minute. There was no knowing what tortures were being performed on the couple, and as it stood, he was powerless to help. He loved them both in his way, and the idea of the pair suffering so tore at his heart like a weevil through flesh, gnawing an ever-growing hole through which his objectivity was leaking into the ether. What to do next? His brilliant mind drew a blank. Vivacious Rose and the clever Doctor, reunited at last, and this had to be their first adventure. He sincerely hoped it wouldn't be their last.

"Why the secrecy? And why is this equipment just lying about unguarded?" questioned Gwen, apparently trying to keep the problem-solving on track. Stepping back from the immediate problem to get a better picture, as she'd been taught. Jack nodded at her, grateful for her professionalism. It was an example he'd have to follow if he wanted his friends back, and with effort, he pulled himself together. Then, though the blood still pumped loudly in his ears, he cleared his throat and spoke.

"I guess they think it's a little obvious to leave soldiers hanging around what's thought to be an abandoned building, and they lack the imagination to disguise someone as a hobo. Or this planet doesn't have hobos. Or-" he cut himself off to do something with his wriststrap, muttering furious curses at himself for not doing this sooner. However, the reading he saw let him give a sigh of relief.

"Yeah, no cameras or bugs that I can find. I guess this planet has a trusting, less than curious populous. As to why there's secrecy in the first place..." Jack paused to slowly blow out a breath, considering. "Well, either they don't want any enemies to find out they're pursuing this line of research, or... I dunno..."

"It's illegal?" Donna asked suddenly. Jack looked at her and nodded, somewhat impressed.

"That's most likely. A planet doesn't get this many tourists if it doesn't have laws for their safety and treaties with a lot of planets." Then, he quietly continued to watch her expression, because he could almost see the wheels turning behind her eyes.

"Well... if it's illegal, then they wouldn't appreciate someone passing all the information about these tests off to the media, would they?" the ginger-haired woman asked with faux innocence. Both Torchwood agents began to grin.

"I like how you think," commended Gwen.

"And that's blackmail. Let's see if there are any information-storing devices around here and download all we can. Then, it might be a good time to use this comm system!" Jack exclaimed.

* * *

Rose and the Doctor had convinced the seven aliens – ressen, it was finally learned they were called – to retrieve their belongings. As comfortable as the scrubs had been, Rose felt much more like herself in black trousers, stylish but sensible boots, a light blue top and a navy jacket. Her gun had apparently been secreted off by Bletz's goons, even as everything else was put with patient property storage to lend veracity to the story of them being sick foreigners. Luckily, the ressen hadn't taken the sonic screwdriver, to the Doctor's tangible glee.

"I love my sonic! I hate being without it; it'd be like you breaking your arm, Rose. Or losing your mascara tube." Rose gaped at him.

"I don't even wear much of that anymore!" she cried defensively. The Doctor exaggeratedly scrutinized her for a moment, pulling on his specs for effect and only stopping after dodging a half-hearted swing from Rose.

"I suppose you're right!" he said with fake surprise. "Sorry; old snarking habits die hard." Rose could feel his amusement through their bond, and though it wasn't exactly the best time for teasing, the normalcy of it calmed her somewhat. The Doctor was in possession of his sonic and wisecracking, and she was by his side. Everything was right with the universe; the odds didn't get more stacked than that.

Unfortunately, not all seven ressen were totally convinced by the pair's tale, but they seemed to think that, if nothing else, humoring the schizophrenics and their wayward coworkers would be the most expedient way of convincing the latter that the former were actually ill. So, all nine people found themselves trouping to the bridge.

The Doctor led the way in. The pilot and deck crew – all military, on this vessel – immediately reached for the communicators on their lapels, but the Doctor drew faster, using his sonic to disable them with a dramatic spark.

"Wait!" yelled the blue-furred doctor. "These are patients, yes, but they are not dangerous. We wanted to speak with you is all."

"Yes, listen to what they have to say," urged a sincere nurse, clasping two of her four hands together in supplication. Rose could see the five-person piloting crew freeze in place, unsure of what to do. To flat-out ignore such an innocent request would be suspicious in such a polite society, but they needed to report to their boss. All of them threw glances at the captain, whose hand hovered over the intra-ship intercom.

Just then, the tense moment was interrupted by a friendly ringing from the console.

"What's that?" demanded the Doctor.

"Transmission from the planet," spoke an officer. The Doctor strode over to him and hit a button on the console. Then, to everyone's surprise, a set of familiar human faces appeared on the screen.

"Jack?" the Doctor asked incredulously.

"Doctor? What the hell; if you're alright, why didn't you answer your phone?!" At that, both the Doctor and Rose took a moment to glance at their phones to see many missed calls. Rose cringed and walked over to the screen.

"Sorry, Jack! We just got them back ten minutes ago. They've been keeping us here as mental patients and studying us behind the staff's back. Not out of the woods yet, either." Rose saw movement out of the corner of her eye.

"Yeah, I found all the data on the kidnappings. I was-" Jack stopped abruptly as she suddenly drew her stolen stun gun and pointed it at a deck officer to the side. The alien put his four hands up, clearly chagrined at being caught before he could shoot her first. Jack cleared his throat.

"I _am_ going to offer it in exchange for your freedom, or else release it to the people. Tell your captors that."

Rose chanced a hard glance back at the screen before saying, "You know what? Go ahead and do it. The nursing staff already half believes us; no use hiding it from the media now."

"But what about blackmail?"

"We won't need it," the Doctor asserted. Behind him, Rose was calling blue-furred aliens over to the screen.

"See?" she told the medical staff. "These are the friends we were traveling with. And, obviously, they wouldn't be breaking into military frequencies in an attempt to contact us if they put us on this ship for our good health."

Donna shoved Jack out of the way to bellow, "These are our friends, and we want them back, thanks! Did you think no one would notice you stealing half their traveling party? The pinstriped one might be skinny, but he's not so invisible we don't notice when he's gone!"

"Thanks, Donna; didn't know you cared," responded the Doctor dryly.

"He's also the designated driver," she added, prompting a hurt glare from the Time Lord. Rose filed the exchange away to laugh at later, allowing herself a mere roll of the eyes before speaking.

"Do you believe us now?" All of the medical staff nodded, and the piloting crew stood up one after another. They faced Rose and the Doctor menacingly, prompting the pair to stand back to back.

"Oi! If you shoot them now, it'll be worse for you later!" interjected Gwen from the screen.

"Just spread the word; go now! And leave that location before one of these goons sends a message back home and has you caught," Rose ordered. With a hasty "good luck" from Jack, the screen went blank.

Rose and the Doctor stood in the abrupt silence, her with a stunner and him with his sonic. While they faced off against five trained soldiers, the seven peaceful staff stood to the side, clearly conflicted on what to do.


	13. Ham and Hedgehogs

**Title: **Settling In**  
Author: **Shen**  
Rating: **NC-17**  
Characters: **Rose, Ten, Donna, Jack, Gwen, Torchwood**  
Setting/Spoilers: **Sequel to Looking Within, in my Peril-verse (see my profile). Recap of said 'verse is at _http/shengirl_ _dot livejournal dot com/8390 dot html_**  
Teaser: **Rose has landed back in her universe in truly dramatic fashion, and it's quite a lot to deal with when it comes to settling back in! Post-reunion fic.

**Chapter 13: Ham and Hedgehogs**

Rose stood tensely, her back to the Doctor's, trying to keep an eye on everything at once. Did any of these soldiers look unsteady? Which would shoot first? Was the captain about to give the final order? She scoured her mind for a plan, but nothing was forthcoming. Then, in the midst of her furtive questing, she happened to glance at the other ressen in the room.

The medical staff members stared at the doomed couple, wide-eyed and uncomprehending. Half an hour before, they had possessed complete trust in their military. Now, right before their eyes, the soldiers were about to murder two people whose only crime was being victims of the organization's cruelty. One orderly in particular had a gaze that flitted desperately from Rose to the door of the bridge. Experiencing a burst of hope, she shot him her best pleading, damsel-in-distress look. It was enough to propel the blue-furred man into action.

Abruptly, he spun around, shoved two of his companions out of the way, and scrambled to the door. He smacked the panel a few more times than strictly necessary to get the door open, and then his hooves could be heard pounding down the hall.

"Help! Help! There has been a misunderstanding on the bridge. There are patients in danger!" Rose heard him call in a voice much louder and higher than she'd heard any of the aliens use yet. It made her appreciate the fear he must be experiencing at his defiance, but she could thank him later, she thought. However, a swift look told her sinking heart that the soldiers were too put-together to be usefully distracted. A curt nod from the captain sent two of the five out to apprehend the rogue orderly.

Two steps from the door, the pair of soldiers came up short as five members of the medical staff flew into the room, four new faces tailing the original orderly.

"Oh, please, sirs! Don't shoot them; they're sick!" he cried in real desperation. Rose stared dumbly at the drama; the Doctor cottoned on first.

"Horned beasts! Why here? I told you, Rose, my mother sent bad magic – sad, tragic; bad magic - after me," he exclaimed in a tortured, raw voice. He spun the both of them around and clung to her arms, having at some point put his sonic away. Still trying to cope with the change in situation, she gaped at him open-mouthed as he continued to rave. "It was because I didn't kiss her goodnight on the night she- on the night she-!" He began to whimper and cry. Only barely able to believe this was happening, she dropped the stunner she was holding and gripped him in return.

"Oh, Doctor! It'll be alright; I can keep the magic away if they don't separate us again. I need to turn around seven times... count to 37... and howl. It always works; it keeps us safe. It always works! It keeps us safe!" she repeated manically.

"I know! If only we had marshmallows. You're always there for me. I love you. Only you keep away the horned beasts... braids and pleats, Grendel and Geats, horned beasts..."

Rose continued sympathetically, "Ever since your childhood-"

"Since that day with the cow... My mother saw me gored and knew. Knew how to haunt me until-" Rose cut him off with a kiss, determined to do it at least once if they were going to die here. Then, she pulled him close, and the pair sank to the floor slowly. They shivered and clutched at each other, hoping their ham-flavored act had the desired effect.

Solemnly, one of the nurses that had helped them claimed, "That is the maddest couple I have ever seen. No wonder their family paid for the best."

The brave orderly chimed in, "Please, I told you, this is a big misunderstanding! They escaped in the confusion and wandered up here, but they mean you men no harm! I am very sorry they burst in and startled you, but you need not shoot them." The newcomers nodded in agreement, beginning to offer their own requests for clemency.

The soldiers began to look nervous and confused just under their hard, collected surface. Rose whimpered loudly and put renewed effort into her "terrified" shivering.

After several tense moments, the captain asked, "You will lock them up again?"

"Of course, sir. They need quiet and sedatives after this trauma, though I do not think we will separate them yet." She heard the captain make an unhappy grumble before giving his assent. Rose couldn't believe her luck. How had this worked?

Four orderlies and nurses walked right between the disconcerted soldiers to pull Rose and the Doctor to their feet and lead them slowly from the room. Once in the hall, the doctor from the original group of ressen told the newcomers they could go back to their duties and that she would take responsibility for the patients. Once they were out of sight, the Doctor and Rose stood up straight. She immediately hugged the brave orderly that had initiated the rescue.

"Thank you so much! We would have been goners if it weren't for you." When she let him go, the Doctor took his turn with a crushing embrace, and Rose saw how the motion caused the alien's four arms to flail in surprise or hang ineffectually to the side, unsure of where to rest themselves. She stifled a giddy laugh, high on the thrill of escape.

"Why did they let us go?" she asked the Doctor once he'd relinquished their savior. "Surely they didn't believe these guys' change of heart."

"'Course not. Really, they probably shouldn't have let us go, but without orders from Bletz, they wouldn't want to give the game away to the other medical staff. Not if they're unsure our friends will even get through to their media and expose the whole shebang at all. And even if they were sure, they'll want to keep order on this ship as long as possible, and that means not letting the staff – the vast majority of non-patients here – from knowing that anything's awry for as long as possible. Nah, safest to let us go and call his boss immediately. And, on that note, what now?" He looked to the staff for answers while Rose was busy shaking her head at his propensity for mid-danger lectures.

"We will hide you," asserted the doctor. "Quickly now, run!" The pair set off after the blue alien, though she had to slow down to accommodate them. It was lucky they hadn't had to make a run for it earlier; a ressen's deer-like legs propelled him far faster than Rose thought possible. After several twists, turns, and ramps – no staircases on this ship – they found themselves before a forgotten-looking closet.

"I doubt the military even knows this part of the ship exists; there are merely seldom-used medical supplies down here. Since we did not use the elevators, they cannot track the visited floors, either, so they will require time and ship schematics to even guess that you are here. It should buy you enough time," the physician explained. Rose nodded.

"Thank you," said the Doctor sincerely. "Really, it's incredibly brave of all of you to help us."

"Human doctors have a saying, yes? 'First, do no harm.' We cannot support their torture. It simply is not an option." After a few more exchanged words, she took her leave, and the Doctor locked them into the closet with his sonic screwdriver. It was tiny and cramped, but they had enough room to sit side by side.

"So. Good first trip?" he asked, sliding an arm around her. Rose chuckled tiredly and yawned, sliding closer to him.

"Getting captured, running for our lives, excessive use of bullshit, and now we're cowering in a closet. I'd say it was perfect. Though, marshmallows? Really?"

"I'd try and defend that statement, but I'm too busy picturing you spinning, counting, and howling like a lunatic."

"Lunatic, howling, Bad Wolf... ha," said Rose with a faint smile, trying to sound unimpressed with his pun. He chuckled in return, pulling her closer.

"So, I was thinking, we're likely going to be here for a few hours," the Doctor stated.

"Hm?" Rose prompted lazily. She slid an arm over his stomach and curled up closer, feeling him smile against her forehead. She yawned, feeling the day's psychic and physical efforts catch up to her now that the adrenaline was dissolving away.

"Well, this is a small area, but I bet we can manage standing up, against the wall." He was rubbing Rose's arm gently, but it wasn't having the effect he'd hoped for. Her heavy eyelids began to close, lulled by the rhythmic motion. "Do you want to have sex? I _know_ you missed post-danger sex; I did." A pause. "Rose?" She never heard what he said next, fast asleep on his chest.

* * *

Rose awoke when the ship jolted under her.

"Whassamatter?" she asked groggily.

"The ship's stopped. Either we've arrived where we were headed, and I doubt that with the speed of this vessel, or we're turning around. Jack, Donna, and Gwen came through for us," the Doctor explained quietly. Rose relaxed against him again, giving a contented hum. However, when she felt out for the Doctor with her mind, she found something that confused her. Discontent? What did he have to be- oh.

"Are you mad I didn't sleep with you?" she asked with some amusement. The Doctor shifted uncomfortably under her.

"Well, it is awful boring in here. I couldn't even get to the book I wanted to read, because you're lying on the pocket," he whined. Rose made a sympathetic noise.

"I'm sorry! I would've moved if you'd woken me." She nuzzled his chest and squeezed him in apology.

"But you looked so peaceful, and you were so tired. Today put a lot of strain on you, didn't it?"

"Yeah, it did. You put quite a lot of the effort in, though, riling the rarjrogs. My hedgehog whisperer," she commented affectionately.

The Doctor spoke dryly, "Okay, that's a much worse nickname than Rambo, Ro-"

"Ohmigod!" Rose suddenly sat up straight and clamped both hands over her mouth to try and avoid cracking up. It was not remotely successful. "You're just a giant fanboy, aren't you? Of course you'd be good with giant hedgehogs; you love them. Especially blue ones called Sonic, I'd bet money. Where else did you get the idea to make a sonic screwdriver with a blue light, eh?"

"Wha- wha-??" Rose cackled anew at his indignant squeak.

"How do you know the inspiration for that character didn't come from me? I could've met the creator! People in history copy things off me all the time."

"Did you?"

"Erm..." Rose continued giggling at him. Still, he protested, "I might not've done it yet!"

"I think you'd best not; it'd be a paradox now, fanboy." The Doctor, unable to argue, resorted to a tickle attack.


	14. Another Reunion

**Title: **Settling In**  
Author: **Shen**  
Rating: **NC-17**  
Characters: **Rose, Ten, Donna, Jack, Gwen, Torchwood**  
Setting/Spoilers: **Sequel to Looking Within, in my Peril-verse (see my profile). Recap of said 'verse is at _http/shengirl_ _dot livejournal dot com/8390 dot html_**  
Teaser: **Rose has landed back in her universe in truly dramatic fashion, and it's quite a lot to deal with when it comes to settling back in! Post-reunion fic.

**Author's Note: **How about some fluff, people? I had to split the final chapter into two chapters, but the last bit is at the betas, so it'll most likely go up tomorrow. :)

Last time, on "Settling In": Jack, Gwen, and Donna are off spreading the word that the ressen military are kidnapping tourists and performing experiments on them to develop psychic weaponry. They do this under the guise of administering their galaxy-famous psychiatric help. Rose and Ten, meanwhile, have barely managed to escape the military personnel on the hospital ship with the help of some medical personnel. A ressen doctor hid them in a supply closet in a forgotten corner of the ship, where they were to wait out orders that would return it to the ressen planet. Finally, they felt the ship turn around.

Forget what ressen look like? For that and more Peril-verse alien visuals, go to the Peril-Verse Alien Encyclopedia at _shengirl dot livejournal dot com/22921 dot html_

**Chapter 14: Another Reunion**

"Ppbbbbt!"

"Hehehehehe!" The Doctor grinned at his helplessly giggling companion. Before she could quite catch her breath to protest, he lifted the hem of her shirt, pressed his mouth to the sensitive skin of her stomach, and blew.

"Ppbbbt!" To his delight, Rose let out a little squeal before cackling some more. Finally, she gathered the coordination to weakly bat him away from her. Throwing his arms up in mock surrender, he sat back on his heels. It was about as far away as he could get in their closet hiding place.

"Stop!" she managed to gasp. "Why do you keep doing that?"

"Because you react the same way every time! The giggling never gets less. It's just the same." He dove in and demonstrated, drawing the expected laughing from his Rose. "I forgot this quirk." The Doctor felt thankful for this unchanged bit of his so recently reclaimed Rose, and he mentally cataloged it with all the other similarities and differences he'd noticed. Suddenly, the door to the closet swung open. The ressen doctor who had hid them in the first place stood there looking somewhat dour.

"That is not a very good job of being discrete." The couple had the grace to look sheepish.

"Sorry, but we thought we were safe once the ship turned around," Rose explained. "We are going back to your planet, right?" The ressen nodded.

"I still do not wish to leave you alone with any of the soldiers, but the psychiatric wards shall be safe enough. Many witnesses there. And it will be more comfortable than this supply room." The Doctor and Rose thanked her profusely as she led them to what must have been an employee lounge, where they waited to reach the ressen planet.

* * *

Planetfall was met with a barrage of cameras and questions for everyone stepping off the ship. And there, at the head of the throng and in front of the local equivalent of police tape, were Donna, Jack, and Gwen. The ensuing five-person group hug made for a heartwarming, fantastic action shot, delighting the photographers.

"Gwen, I didn't know you cared!" joked the Doctor good-naturedly.

"I'm actually here for Rose," Gwen corrected him with a smirk, giving the blonde an extra squeeze. This drew a pout from the Doctor and laughter from everyone else.

"I approve of that sentiment," added Jack with a leer at Gwen's arm around Rose's shoulders. Then, Donna saved both women from defending themselves by giving Jack a sound thwack on the arm. While the immortal whined jokingly at the redhead, Rose spoke to Gwen.

"You gave the media and everyone all the information you found?"

"We gave it to three separate sources, so there's no lack of evidence."

The Doctor said quietly, "Good. I don't know if you've been told, but we don't like to stick around for the cleanup. Too many questions, and I'm not fond of reporters anyway. Well, not most reporters. Not gossip reporters or sensationalists – a close friend of mine is an investigative reporter. Now there's a class of news personnel that's important. Like on Midgel 3, no one knew what their socks were made of until one newsman-"

"Or like now, Doctor," Rose teased him, partially to save Gwen from the full force of his rambling. "I'd say kidnapping and torturing tourists is a more serious covert operation than socks."

Regarding her solemnly, the Doctor said, "Not with what these were made of."

* * *

After giving everyone the slip, the weary travelers made it back to the TARDIS and agreed that it was a good time for tea and snacks. However, Rose held Donna back from the crowd for a moment.

"Um, Donna... You've been traveling with the Doctor for a while, right? Got into the habit of TARDIS life with just you and him?" Rose asked nervously. Slightly alarmed but at least trying to conceal it, Donna nodded.

"Don't know if you can call anything about life with him a habit, since every day's so different, but, well, yes." She stared at the younger woman, bewildered. Rose bit her lip but looked her in the eye.

"It's just, I got to thinking on the long ride back here. Hadn't had much time for it before then, what with falling into your life and readjusting to it. Settling in, you know? Never mind jetlag; switching universes is a killer," Rose rambled and followed it with a nervous giggle. Donna nodded, now even more confused. The blonde cleared her throat and sobered somewhat.

"Well, I realized that... I haven't asked, have I? And the Doctor just assumes; he's good at that. Are you going to stay with us? Because I'd love you to," she blurted. "You helped save us, and, well, I like you. You're fun and funny, and he loves you to death." Donna opened her mouth in an attempt to comment on this string of revelations, but Rose interrupted, gesturing a little wildly. "But- but don't feel pressured either! I didn't want it to sound like pressure. I'll understand if you feel shoved off; I've been there myself." Thoughts of Rose's first meeting with Sarah Jane ran through her head. "But seriously, do whatever you want. Like - I'm not even here!" Finally, she ceased her rambling and looked at Donna expectantly. The other woman gave her a flabbergasted look in return.

"Are you kiddin'? Let me explain, sweetheart. Before you popped up, I'd wander the TARDIS halls aimlessly, bored to death while he locked himself in some nook to work on her. Like a great, sulking teenager with less acne but a bigger 'no one understands me' complex. Then, I'd be trying to sleep or get time to myself, and he would bounce in, all energy and cute, giant, _aggravating_ smiles, and drag me off somewhere! But now, when he's holed up, _we_ can keep each other from being bored, and I'll still have plenty of time to myself while you two are shagging." After a moment, Rose pulled Donna into a crushing hug.

"Oof! Blimey, Rose, I don't have a respiratory whatsit like your boyfriend," Donna croaked, suddenly deprived of oxygen.

Blithely, Rose exclaimed, "Oh, good! I'm glad you're staying." She pulled away to look the redhead in the eyes. "And if we ever start acting stupid, I trust you to give us a good thump in the head, alright?" Donna took a moment to cough and reacquaint herself with the feeling of air in her lungs.

An amused, almost ominous, "Cross my heart," was the response.

* * *

After food and caffeine revived everyone, the Doctor decided to make another go at landing on Bellwats at festival time. And, to everyone's surprised relief, it worked. They spent a few hours taking in the event, playing festival games, watching shows, and shopping for trinkets. Just before the multicolored, incandescent insect mating was set to begin, Rose and the Doctor ran back to the TARDIS to drop off her unusually large number of purchases.

"I can see that's another thing that hasn't changed, unless it's for the worse," he teased her as he slipped an arm around her waist. She playfully bumped him with her hip.

"Excuse me, but some of us have an evolving sense of style and need new clothes after months and months. I didn't pick up that much in Cardiff, you know."

"I still liked you in your old clothes."

"They don't all fit anymore, though! I lost weight. I also lost some of my pink obsession. Actually, that was dying down before I ever left; I much prefer the TARDIS' shade of blue." As she said that, Rose put a hand on the wall and stroked it lightly, drawing a contented rumble from the ship.

"Brown-nosing my ship! Next thing I know, you'll conspire to have her turn off my hot water next time I make you angry. Again."

"I missed her, too, you know. In a way, she's a part of me. And anyway, when I come out of a trip covered in glowing, yellow goo, and you're practically pristine, I'm allowed a little bit of revenge." The couple strode into the console room as they bickered.

"It's not my fault you were more in the trajectory than me!"

"Yes it is; you dragged me in front of you like some kind of meat shield!" Just as she was about to open the TARDIS door, Rose heard a beep from the ship. Turning, she saw that a monitor had come on.

The Doctor scratched his head and commented, "That's weird. That doesn't usually come on by itself." But Rose had already seen the screen and began to grin. Jack and Gwen had decided to stake out the clearing around the ship to view the vibrant lights. He even laid out his greatcoat for them to sit on.

"Look, Doctor, Jack's taking a leaf out of your book!"

"But why is the TARDIS showing us this?" he asked, bewildered.

"Either she doesn't want us interrupting them, or she knows I'm holding out on you. She loves you, so of course she wants you to get laid again." Rose was pleased to see this bit of crudeness had the desired effect. The Doctor crinkled up his face like a child given pickled beets.

"Eeeewww." Stifling her giggle, the blonde leaned in to watch the scene closer. It even had sound! Part of her said it might be a little wrong, but while she may have grown up quite a bit since she started traveling with the Doctor, the moral high ground was not always going to be hers. Not with gossip and eavesdropping, and especially not with a meddler like Jack Harkness.


	15. Questions Asked and Answered

**Title: **Settling In**  
Author: **Shen**  
Rating: **NC-17**  
Characters: **Rose, Ten, Donna, Jack, Gwen, Torchwood**  
Setting/Spoilers: **Sequel to Looking Within, in my Peril-verse (see my profile). Recap of said 'verse is at _http/shengirl_ _dot livejournal dot com/8390 dot html_**  
Teaser: **Rose has landed back in her universe in truly dramatic fashion, and it's quite a lot to deal with when it comes to settling back in! Post-reunion fic.

**Author's Note:** This is the longest thing I have ever written, ever, fic or not. How'd I do?

**Chapter 15: Questions Asked and Answered**

"Jack, all of this out here for you to see and explore, it's a wonder you come home to Cardiff," Gwen commented, eyes glued on the sky above her. Twinkling lights zipped around in fascinating patterns and colors, and rather than the sort of obnoxious buzzing a swarm of flying bugs might have on Earth, their pattern of noise was almost musical. Jack smiled at the awe on her face, propping himself up on his elbow to better look at her. He cleared his throat.

"You know, there are things – and people – worth fighting for at home." Gwen tore her gaze from the sky to give him an uncertain look.

"Jack..."

"No, listen. Please. When you started working for me, you expressed an interest. I did notice; believe me. But I pushed you away, because a man who can't grow old with you is hardly ideal. And I felt too strongly about you to make it just a fling, something we could cast off when it became uncomfortable and just be friends. I couldn't do that. So I pushed you towards Rhys, towards... normal." There was barely-hidden distaste in his voice at the word "normal," but he shook it off and continued.

"But when I disappeared last year, I went through something – something I'll tell you all about if you ask, no more secrets – and it gave me a lot of time to think. I _want_, Gwen. Lifespan difference be damned, I didn't want to deny it anymore and miss the chance for what we could have. I didn't want to regret it. But you were engaged, so I tried to respect that. I hid my feelings again, though I guess I haven't been as good at that this time around, have I?" The question held a slight chuckle and a lopsided grin, but he knew his eyes were vulnerable.

Gwen shook her head, smiling faintly. Jack spoke again, his voice low and serious.

"And now I've found the Doctor again, and he's finally taken a chance on Rose. The man is centuries older than me, and if he thinks it's worthwhile – no, thinks it's of the _utmost importance_ to act on his love for a transient human, who am I to argue?" He took her hands in his own. "And if you tell me now that you don't want this, you know I care for you enough that I'll never speak of it again. I really, truly want you to be happy. It's just that I'd like the chance, if you're willing to give it to me, to be the one who makes you that way. Tell me it's not too late?" To his dismay, the former PC stared at him, mouth slightly ajar, apparently at a loss. If he were honest with himself, he would admit that he had less faith in the Harkness Charm than usual. The opportunity to get her one-on-one in a romantic alien setting had instead turned into another investigation. And as useful as Donna had been when it came to rescuing the Doctor and Rose, she was a bit of a third wheel. Still, he mustered up another smile.

"I'm also _really_ good at sex, if that helps." This broke Gwen's trance and made her laugh.

"You would, Jack Harkness. And I can't say I don't like you. I..." she stalled. "Is this alright with Ianto?"

"Ianto understands friends with benefits. Though we don't have to slight him at all if you don't want; you know he likes women, too." At this, Gwen blushed fiercely. However, she didn't reject the idea outright, to Jack's private glee.

"Uh- Let's talk about that later. Messy details. Just... what's important is..." She bit her lip. Jack leaned in close, raptly concentrating on each minor detail of her expression, his indefatigable heart suddenly feeling like it might quit any second.

"Yes," she blurted.

"Really?!" he exclaimed in an embarrassingly high-pitched voice.

"I mean, I do love Rhys, Jack. He's been wonderful."

"I've seen the way he yells at you sometimes; that's not okay," Jack commented with a small growl.

"It's no more than I've done back. But it's not fair to him that I spend more time at work than at home, while at work I'm ogling my boss at every opportunity. He's a _good_ man, more patient than I deserve. He'll make someone happy. And someone should make him deliriously so. But," she explained, placing one hand on his cheek, "I think I'm better-suited to giving you that gift than I am for him. I've already strayed once; I know it can't be me."

Jack kissed her solidly, taking her breath away. But when he started to move against her, she pulled away. He couldn't hide his dismay.

Gwen explained gently, "Not yet, please. I won't cheat on him again; let me break it off first." Jack smiled, perfectly content.

"That's fine." He lay on his back beside her, once again taking in the local sights. "I understand." A return to time and space and a romantic triumph. A day didn't get any better than this.

* * *

"Aaawww," Rose crooned at the viewscreen.

"You're a dirty eavesdropper, you are," stated the Doctor.

"But look! He's happy. Aren't you glad you took those two along? That's about as good as an apology gets, don't you think?" She looked at the Doctor expectantly, and he couldn't help but grin.

"Does feel kind of good, actually. This silly relationship meddling's alright when it works out," he admitted cheerfully.

"Yep," Rose agreed, popping the p and giving him a sidelong, flirtatious look. Slowly, the Doctor's eyes widened with shock.

"You really were going to withhold sex from me, weren't you? What if it hadn't worked?! The Doctor doesn't get to make love to his beautiful woman just because Jack Harkness isn't getting any from _one_ person? That's like starving a child so long as his goat isn't eating one variety of grass on a whole mountain!" In actuality, it was unlikely Rose would have held out very much longer on the physical department. Especially since she was no longer mad at him. And in any case, at least trying to help Jack would have been the step in the right direction she was looking for from the Doctor. But he didn't need to know that.

So, Rose merely laughed loudly and countered, "And that's like making a completely ridiculous analogy for something that has no analog. But I love you for it." As she spoke, the fake panic slid from the Doctor's features as his hands slid to her waist.

"Mm, does this mean I get to see that silky number you bought in Cardiff?" Rose blinked, having nearly forgotten the bit of lingerie Donna and Gwen had found for her. Though, now that she thought about it, the fact that the Doctor's best friend had taken a part in picking it out was something else the Time Lord didn't need to know.

"If you're good. And Doctor?"

"Hm?"

"I'm glad I'm back," she breathed. Then, instead of the soft, lazy smile she expected in return, the Doctor stiffened and acquired a more sober expression.

"Rose, I've been wondering. This is alright? You, Donna, and I through time and space? Same old life? You're not craving anything... _else_, are you?" he asked nervously. Still the same old Time Lord! She could practically hear the word "domestic" even as "else" reluctantly crawled from his mouth. Though, actually, that was a good question. In returning, she had been thinking about what she wanted – to be back with the man she loved. She'd wanted to be there if he needed her, in any way he needed her. But she hadn't thought about what she _needed,_ or even about the long term at all. And yet, she would never forgive herself if he grew to be unhappy at her behest. So, she spoke with a brave smile and a calm, earnest tone.

"It doesn't have to be the same as it was, Doctor. I'm not the same, and you've been through a lot, too. But you're still the Doctor, and I'm Rose Tyler, and in any condition, those work best together." She shoved him playfully. "And you can't be the stuff of legends unless you go and find trouble, can you? Unless it's you that wants to find a mortgage, get a pair of terriers, and name them Toodles and Mittens Smith," she teased. In contrast to the light cast of her voice, her eyes were locked onto his with immovable intensity. She meant it. Children and their aversion to the Time Vortex could be worried about later, if at all. Her twilight years, the same. For now, travel and trouble was the game. It had always been more than enough.

"That's my Rose Tyler. Wanderlust any kender could be proud of. And all mine." He stepped closer.

"Mutt and Jeff." She reached forward with her right hand and threaded their fingers together.

"Ren and Stimpy." He used his other hand to pull her closer by the waist.

"What?"

"Come here, you."

ILLUSTRATION: _i253 dot photobucket dot com/albums/hh52/shengirl/Kiss3 dot png_

END

* * *

I don't necessarily think this interpretation of Ianto is current; he seems to have gotten more serious with Jack. However, I do believe this was the case earlier on. If you notice in 2x01, Jack hears that Gwen is engaged, then immediately seeks a deeper relationship with Ianto. I'd say it looked like the poor boy was his backup plan if I thought Jack was incapable of having affection for more than one person. And since, in this 'verse, it's not long after that, and he didn't give up hope on Gwen...

PS. Drawing kisses is HARD, and I suck, so be gentle. XD


End file.
